What is an essential oil ? It is essentially the distillation, or “essence”, of a part of a certain plant. Essential oils are typically created using a steam distillation process, while some other vegetable oils are cold pressed. You can create essential oils in your own home using several ancient methods.
Hair Essential Oils
Glowing skin isn’t the only thing essential oils are known to promote; you can also use them for healthy hair growth! Here are some of the best essential oils for longer, thicker hair.
Rosemary oil for hair health
Growing as a woody perennial, rosemary is a popular herb both in traditional medicine and in beauty, especially when it comes to hair.
A physical examination have shown that rosemary can aid in hair growth when massaged into the scalp daily, while a 2015 study found that rosemary can help protect against hair loss. You can read more about the many benefits of rosemary oil in our article here.
Tea tree oil for a flake-free scalp
Tea tree oil is extremely popular for damaged and irritated skin, but it’s also great for scalp support. Thanks to its antifungal properties, tea tree oil has been used successfully to treat dandruff. In this studythere was a 41% decrease in the severity of dandruff, as well as symptoms of itching and flaking.
Peppermint oil for a thicker mane
Chances are you’re no stranger to the refreshing, invigorating aroma that mint is known for. A study reported that a 3% peppermint oil blend created a dramatic increase in hair thickness and growth, which was attributed to deepening of the follicles, which promotes longer hair. strong.
Cedarwood oil to prevent hair loss
Cedarwood oil is made from the bark of cedar trees and is known for its deep, warm, earthy scent. But did you know that it takes a big step in your hair regimen? Cedarwood is known to fight hair loss by promoting growth through follicle stimulation. Plus, it can fight bacteria buildup on the scalp.
Essential oils for the skin
Many essential oils have beneficial properties for the skin. Some, like tea tree oil, have antibacterial properties, which makes them excellent for treating acne and preventing skin infections. Others, like rose geranium and pomegranate, are rich in the antioxidant vitamin C.
Although essential oils can have wonderful benefits for the skin, it is important to use them correctly. Since essential oils are extremely concentrated by nature, they can be very aggressive when applied undiluted to the skin, and can even cause sensitization, a skin reaction that resembles an allergic reaction. This is where carrier oils come in:
Carrier oils and how to use them
Think of carrier oils as soul mates to essential oils. These gentle, hydrating oils can be used to dilute essential oils to concentrations that won’t irritate the skin. Many carrier oils are also adept at penetrating deep into the skin, which means they will help deliver essential oil nutrients deep into the skin tissues, allowing them to reach their maximum impact.
Most skincare experts recommend using a 2% dilution of essential oil on your skin. We’ve included some rough measurements for the essential oils on our list, but we recommend that you read about essential oil safety and measure carefully.
Here are some of the best carrier oils to combine with essential oils:
1. Argan oil: Argan oil is full of essential fatty acids and minerals, as well as carotenes and squalene – so it will help strengthen your skin’s defensive barrier while hydrating and revitalizing it. Due to the properties just mentioned, argan oil also makes a great addition to a homemade hair mask, conditioner or serum. We recommend checking out 100% PURE Pure Argan Oil as a base for your essential oils.
2. Jojoba Oil: The composition of jojoba oil mimics that of the natural oil (sebum) produced by your skin. This makes jojoba oil extremely useful for balancing oily skin, as it can effectively “trigger” the skin to produce less oil. Jojoba oil is the ultimate moisturizing oil for oily skin and can also be used on the hair and scalp.
3. Vitamin E Oil: Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that not only helps moisturize your skin, but also stimulate cell regeneration and healing. This makes vitamin E oil an excellent carrier oil for damaged skin.
4. Sweet Almond Oil: Sweet Almond Oil is packed with antioxidant vitamins to help nourish, hydrate and soften your skin.
5. Avocado oil: Not only does avocado make a great base for salad dressings; its vitamin and fatty acid content make it a powerful moisturizer with intense healing properties.
6. Coconut Oil: Coconut oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and can help replenish the skin’s defensive barrier. Although coconut oil has become a popular skincare ingredient in recent years, we don’t recommend coconut oil as a base for a homemade essential oil moisturizer. Coconut has a high comedogenic factor, which means it tends to clog pores. For this reason, it’s best to use coconut oil as a base for face masks and cleansers, and stick to a non-comedogenic carrier oil for moisturizers and serums.
The best essential oils for the skin
Now that you’ve got the scoop on the best carrier oils, let’s take a look at some of the best essential oils for skin health, along with some basic usage guidelines:
1. Arabica coffee seed oil for mature skin
The caffeine in arabica coffee seed oil can help fight inflammation, brighten skin tone and promote collagen and elastin production. This makes Arabica Coffee Seed Oil the perfect essential oil for treating mature skin. We recommend combining arabica coffee seed oil with argan oil, sweet almond oil or avocado oil: a good ratio to start with is about 1 drop of essential oil to 1 tbsp of carrier oil.
2. Tea tree oil for acne-prone skin
Tea tree is one of the best essential oils for treating acne and balancing the bacterial balance of the skin. Studies have shown that tea tree oil is an effective acne treatment due to its antibacterial properties. To use tea tree oil for acne, we recommend combining about 1 drop of tea tree oil with 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil (which is the perfect carrier oil for acne as it will help balance the oil production of the skin). Gently dab this mixture onto clean skin.
3. Ginseng seed oil for damaged skin
Ginseng seed oil contains gentisic acid, which brightens skin tone, and cinnamic acid, which helps support cell regeneration. These properties make ginseng oil an excellent option for treating skin damage caused by acne, sun exposure, and other factors. We recommend combining about 1 drop of ginseng seed oil with 1 tablespoon of vitamin E oil.
4. Eucalyptus oil for complexion
eucalyptus oil can help stimulates circulation and relieves inflammation, eliminates redness and leaves your skin looking rejuvenated and refreshed. We recommend combining about 1 drop of eucalyptus oil with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.
You can get even more creative with your essential oils by combining them with vegetable butters to create essential oil body butters; or you can whip egg and banana with a few drops of essential oil to create a nourishing hair mask. The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to these multi-dynamic oils.
To learn more about essential oils and their benefits for the skin, check out our previous article on the best carrier oils for skin!
