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Wise Woman's Natural Care: Essential Oils For Beautiful Skin

By: Helena Masters Therapeutic essential oils are found in the highest quality beauty care products designed for mature skin. Natural oils have many beneficial properties including the stimulation of cellular metabolism, the regeneration of tissues, reduction of oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory effects, as well as various hormone-like activities. These known benefits are the therapeutic fundamentals for topical support of the health and beauty of aging skin. Not only are true essential oils kinder to the planet than synthetic mixtures, their health-giving effects can be dramatic. Beyond the obvious benefits, the natural health enthusiast can make a skin care blend precisely suited to their skin's personal needs, at a fraction of the cost of the high-end laboratory-made blends. Many of the ingredients are available locally at your health food store. The more esoteric items found either on the internet or through mail order from providers of therapeutic-grade aromatherapy and apothecary supplies.

What is it about essential oils that make them so suitable to the task of making mature skin glow? The aromatic oils are nature's liquid healing wonders. It is thought that plants produce them as their own healing potions, with variations that depend on the plant's habitat; a plant needs to generate new cells, defend itself from oxidative radicals, and promote its own fitness as much as humans do. These aromatic oils are highly compatible with our own health and well-being. Countless essential oils have been examined over time, and a few stand out as extraordinary medicines for our skin. Creating a personal formula using them is a simple task: just mix a small amount of essential oils with the appropriate (and therapeutic) seed or nut oils at the right concentrations, and voila! Your own highly effective skin care blend.

Essential oils for topical application in nearly every instance will be blended with what are known as carrier oils or 'base' oils. These cold-pressed seed or nut oils make up the foundation of most natural skin care formulas. There are a many lovely carrier oils from which to choose - a few favorites for nourishing and healing mature skin include: Avocado is known to be both hydrating, and nutritive; it has a medium consistency and is generally included at about 20% of the total base oil mixture. Apricot Kernel is fantastic for dry skin and is used for healing damaged or irritated skin. Apricot oil can be used in combination or with other carriers or as 100% of the base oil. Borage oil is used as a small (perhaps 10%) portion of the carrier blend; it helps to calm inflammation and supplies important essential fatty acid nutrients. Borage and Evening Primrose oil may be interchanged though the Evening Primrose should be used in slightly larger concentrations of up to one-quarter of the base formula. Hazelnut oil is a very common carrier in skin care blends. It has a thinner consistency and is best used by those with oily skin conditions. With its astringent properties Hazelnut should not exacerbate oily-skin conditions. Lastly, and likely most importantly, we have Rosehip Seed. Rosehip seed oil combines a plethora of therapeutic properties including the ability to speed turnover of skin cells without drying or flaking (as can be a common side effect of synthetic preparations with the same purpose). An excellent base oil mix for mature skin might include 70% Apricot Kernel, 15% Rosehip and 15% Evening Primrose. For those with dry skin, add Avocado oil at 20% and reduce the Apricot Kernel to 50%. For oily skin, replace Apricot Kernel with Hazelnut.

Then of course there are the 'active' ingredients - the essential oils. We will look at eight incredible oils that are all beneficial to mature skin: Considered one of the most potent revitalizing oils for the derma, Carrot Seed essential oil is distilled from the seeds of Wild Carrot. Carrot seed is chosen principally as a tonic for skin that has become dull and lifeless through any sort of stress. Carrot seed has a smooth, warm and earthy aroma that will blend well with many other essential oils. Next is Rosemary Verbenone, which contains a high amount of regenerative ketones and is highly effective for regeneration. This specialty skin care essential oil is noted by professionals for its wonderful ability to improve the metabolism of skin cells - in essence, increasing both the removal of waste products and the intake of nutrients.

Clary Sage essential oil is noted as being particularly suited to natural beauty care. It contains sclareol, which mimics the effects of estrogen; this is noted by one expert author as the primary reason it helps with skin aging. It may also be the reason Clary Sage is said to regulate the skin's secretions, bringing balance to both over-dry and over-oily skin. Elsewhere, it is noted as relaxing - even mildly euphoric - which may also contribute to its positive effects for wrinkles. Sweet Fennel is another 'estrogenic' essential oil, called for by Valerie Worwood in 'The Complete Book of Essential Oils' as an ingredient in wrinkle-preventative blends for all ages.

Sea Buckthorn Berry CO2 (a cold-processed essential oil) is a gentle oil with a pleasingly sweet aroma. Sea Buckthorn contains significant amounts of essential fatty acids along with antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. This specialty skin care essential oil is rich in carotenes, which likely impart its rejuvenative effects. It is noted as a particularly effective anti-wrinkle and skin softening agent. Another specialty oil for mature skin care is Cistus, also known as Rock Rose. The oil is distilled from a plant grown in hot, sun-drenched regions, and can be added to blends for its particular effect of firming the skin. It also has astringent properties which can support clearing of oily skin; further, it is mentioned in blends for firming around the eyes - when used near the eyes, any blend should contain no more than .5% essential oils as to not be irritating in this sensitive area.

And what review of therapeutic skin oils could ignore the vast healing properties of Lavender? Well-known for its relaxing effects, true lavender can be included in aromatherapy blends for skin of any age. With regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and balancing effects, lavender is especially supportive of aging skin. Lavender's support for stress reduction alone can result in improving the appearance of your skin. It may be added in whatever concentration one chooses in alignment with one's personal taste. For those wanting even stronger anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects, try Helichrysum essential oil. Helichrysum is known widely as a profoundly healing essential oil for damaged skin, and is often called for in blends for healing wounds or reducing the appearance of scars. Note that if you are combining aromatherapy with other treatments such as chemical peels or microdermabasion, this essential oil would be a valuable ingredient in your personal formula. Finally, Rose oil is absolutely spectacular for mature skin - and has a fantastic aroma. Just a little goes a long way toward's a balanced and hydrated skin texture.

Creating your own blend is a simple and enjoyable process. Simple, as you only need select the essential oils you wish to include, and can add them in equal amounts - 10 drops of each essential oil per ounce of base oil is a perfect start. Enjoyable as the essential oils smell so wonderful! One can't help to keep inhaling their aroma while preparing a formula. The essential oils ARE potent; it's best to limit your total essential oil concentration to less than five percent of the overall mixture. This works out to 30 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier. If using more than three essential oils (i.e. more than 10 drops each of three varieties) limit the amount of each essential oil so that the final volume per ounce is less than 30 drops. So for example, if using five essential oils, use a maximum of six drops of each per ounce of carrier oil. Almost all essential oils work best at these seemingly low concentrations - more is not better. You can, however, adjust the essential oil ratios to suit the needs of your skin and/or your aromatic preferences.

While these are many of the oils favored for women's beauty care, similar recipes may be used by men as well. A more masculine formula can be created using essential oils from woods - Australian Sandalwood, for example, can be added for both its therapeutic and aromatic properties; Frankincense and Myrrh are also noted for their positive effects for aging skin and have warm, earthy aromas. Further, adding oils purely for their aromatic beauty is always an option. There are only a few oils that should not be applied to the face that are commonly used in aromatherapy: Cinnamon, Oregano, Clove and Red Thyme; cold-pressed citrus oils and Angelica Root oil are phototoxic, and should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to sunlight in the following 72 hours. If you're not sure about a particular essential oil, check with a reliable resource - otherwise, feel free to enhance your blends to suit your aromatic taste.

Making therapeutic blends for mature skin is enjoyable, easy-to-do, and cost effective. By using therapeutic-grade oils and carriers, you'll be creating an effective, beautiful smelling formula precisely for your own skin condition. Moreover, you can adjust the recipe over time as your needs change, or make different formulas with various aromas to double as natural perfumes. As always with aromatherapy, start slowly, listen to your body and have fun!