Essential Oils For Dry Skin Care
Using essential oils for dry skin care can encourage oil production and healing. Recommended oils include:
- Atlas Cedarwood
- Carrot Seed
- Cypress
- Palmarosa
- Patchouli
- Rosemary verbenone
- Sandalwood
- Spikenard
- Vetiver
- Ylang Ylang
Suggested essential oils for specific purposes include:
- For inflammation: German chamomile
- For irritation due to flaking: German chamomile or lavender
- To balance oil production: lavender or geranium
- To promote cell rejuvenation: neroli
- To stimulate oil production and improve circulation: peppermint or rosemary (in small amounts)
- For balance: geranium, jasmine, neroli, or rose
Avoid
skin care products that contain alcohol, retinoids, or alpha-hydroxy
acid (AHA) because they can dry out your skin even more.
Dry Skin Care Cleanser
Cleanse your skin gently once or twice a day. It's important not to overcleanse because doing so strips away oil, making your skin drier. Here's a basic aromatherapy cleanser recipe:
- 1/4 cup aromatherapy hydrosol or aloe vera gel
- 1 teaspoon carrier oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon glycerin
- 5 drops rosemary essential oil (rosemary verbenone, if you can get it)
Blend all ingredients in a small, dark, glass container.
To use: Shake container vigorously. Apply a small amount of cleanser to your face using your fingers or cotton pads. Rinse.
You can also make this dry skin wash:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 10 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 10 drops rose essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
Blend all ingredients in a small, dark bottle. Use a few drops as a face wash.
Aromatherapy Dry Skin Toner
Avoid using a toner that contains alcohol. Aloe vera or an aromatherapy hydrosol makes a good toner. Here's an essential oil recipe for a toner:
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) aloe vera juice
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon calendula-infused vinegar
- 5 drops helichrysum essential oil
- 800 IU vitamin E oil
Combine the ingredients in a dark bottle. Shake well before use.
Cleanser and toner source: Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art.
Dry Skin Care Moisturizer
Moisturize dry skin as frequently as needed.
Here are two simple moisturizing blends:
- 5 drops rose essential oil
- 1 tablespoon rosehip seed oil
- 1 tablespoon apricot kernel oil
Blend ingredients in small, dark, glass bottle.
OR
- 1 ounce (30 ml or 2 tablespoons) argan oil
- 3 drops neroli essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
Blend ingredients in a small dark bottle. Source: Aromahead
Aromatherapy Moisturizing Cream For Dry Skin
- 1/2 ounce (about 1 tablespoon) beeswax
- 1/2 cup almond oil
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) rosewater
- 4 drops bergamot essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 8 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 8 drops patchouli essential oil
- 10 drops rose essential oil
- Melt the beeswax and the almond oil in a double boiler.
- Reduce the heat.
- Add the rosewater slowly, stirring vigorously.
- Immediately remove from heat.
- Let the mixture cool and turn creamy.
- Stir in the essential oils.
- Store the cream in a sterilized dark jar with a lid.
Facial Masks For Dry Skin Care
Facial masks can improve the appearance of your skin by removing dead, surface skin cells and increasing circulation to the skin. Using a mask once a week is sufficient.
Here's a simple dry skin face mask from Healing With Aromatherapy:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut oil
- 3 drops geranium essential oil
- Slightly beat the egg yolk and then stir in the oils.
- Apply to your face and neck.
- Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, and then wash off with warm water.
Honey Facial Mask
- 2 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 1 drop lavender essential oil
- 1 drop Roman chamomile essential oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Blend the ingredients.
- Spread the mixture evenly over your face.
- Leave the mask on until it no longer feels cool.
- Rinse off and apply a moisturizer.
Source: Aromatherapy for Common Ailments
Essential Oil Scrub and Mask
This aromatherapy recipe using essential oils for dry skin care is a little more involved. First, you need to blend a facial scrub:
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup dried lavender and peppermint (dried herbs, not oils!)
- Use a grinder to grind the ingredients into a fine powder.
- Store in a closed container.
To
use as a scrub, blend 1 teaspoon powder and enough water or hydrosol to
make a paste. Apply to damp face, gently scrub, and rinse with warm
water.
Now, the facial mask for dry skin:
- 1 tablespoon facial scrub
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rosewater or aloe juice
- 1 drop rose or neroli essential oil
- 1 egg yolk (optional)
- Blend the ingredients.
- Apply to your face.
- Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes, and then rinse off with warm water.
Source: Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art
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Photo Credit: Zenspa1/Flickr/CC