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Sensitive Skin Care Using Essential Oils

For sensitive skin care, select calming and soothing essential oils to help relieve irritations, redness, rashes, or itching. Essential oils often recommended include:

German chamomile
Roman chamomile
Helichrysum
Jasmine
Lavender
Neroli
Rose
Sandalwood

The four main types of sensitive skin are acne, rosacea, contact dermatitis caused by allergies and irritants, and burning and stinging, usually for unknown reasons. See these separate articles about acne and rosacea.

To care for sensitive skin:

Use only a gentle cleanser, once or twice a day.
Avoid harsh soaps, avoid scrubbing your skin, and avoid exfoliation, all of which can make skin more sensitive.
After cleansing, pat dry, leaving the skin slightly moist. Moisturize immediately.

Important: Always spot test any aromatherapy recipe before using it on a large area. If you find blends irritate your skin, try testing each essential oil alone to find the problem oil. Put a drop of essential oil in 10-20 drops of a carrier oil and test it. You may also need to test carrier oils alone to make they aren't causing the problem.

Cleanser For Sensitive Skin Care

Here's a sensitive skin cleanser:

1 tablespoon argan oil
3 tablespoons jojoba oil
3 tablespoons liquid unscented castile soap
6 drops helichrysum essential oil
6 drops German chamomile essential oil
10 drops neroli essential oil

Combine the ingredients in a clean bowl.
Pour the blend into a dark glass bottle.
Place cap on bottle.
Shake for two minutes.

To use: Use a circular motion to apply a small amount of cleanser to moist skin. Rinse with warm water. Pat dry.

Essential Oil Moisturizer

Mix the following ingredients in a dark container with a cap. Use this moisturizer as needed.

3 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
6 drops German chamomile essential oil
2 drops yarrow essential oil
1 drop rosemary essential oil (preferably verbenone type)
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
2 teaspoons wheat germ oil

Source: Healing With Aromatherapy

Hydrosol Toner

Hydrosols are the water by-product of steam-distilling plants to make essential oils. Hydrosols are very gentle, even for the most sensitive skin. Try this simple blend: