One of the most well-known and ubiquitous features of essential oils is their antiseptic nature. Many people use an essential oil for the first time in their lives for this application. They’ll be handed a bottle of tea tree for a small cut, and they’re using an essential oil as an antiseptic. Essential oils can be highly effective for the treatment of acne — perhaps better than many pharmaceutical preparations — because of their complex antiseptic chemistry. In addition to being antiseptic, they offer both anti-inflammatory and sebum/hormone balancing effects, along with general healing properties for the skin. Here’s a look at using essential oils for the treatment of both teenage and adult acne, including which oils to use and how to blend them.
First examining the antiseptics, the choice for many people is tea tree essential oil. It has been the gold standard of topical antiseptic essential oils. It is readily available, inexpensive, and actually “proven” effective. A recent study was produced comparing the efficacy of tea tree to oxybenzone, the most popular over-the-counter active ingredient for acne treatment. A 5% tea tree formulation was found to be as effective as a 5% benzoylperozxide preparation, without side effects (benzoylperoxide can cause drying and peeling). Tea tree can be used at much higher concentrations if desired, as it will not produce the peeling and drying action of oxybenzone. Some people find they can use it “neat” (undiluted) without side effects, though it’s crucial you test a very small amount to see if this is both safe AND effective for you personally. Other popular antiseptic essential oils in acne blends include geranium and palmarosa — you can combine one or more of these in your formula, which may result in greater therapeutic activity.
Then there’s the important balancing of sebum secretion. Green myrtle essential oil is actually both balancing and a potent antibacterial. Like tea tree, it has been suggested as a treatment all by itself, and may work better for may individuals. If you’re seeking a single oil for direct application, consider experimenting with myrtle and tea tree — finding the one that works best for you. Myrtle will work synergistically with tea tree in an overall acne treatment blend.
Somewhat less potent of an antibacterial, but perhaps a more important oil for sebum balance and overall skin health is rosewood. You’ll find rosewood included in a great many skin care formulas, and is an especially good choice for adult acne care. If you choose rosewood for your blend, look for one from a sustainable source, or from a location other than Brazil, such that it’s not from wild-grown trees in the Amazon rainforest.
Lavender is found in many blends for its soothing, anti-inflammatory and regenerative action. Perhaps even better would be spike lavender, sort of lavender’s more strongly antiseptic cousin. Myrrh has a host of therapeutic actions for the skin, the most well-known being antiseptic and anti-aging (a good choice for inclusion in an adult acne formula). Sandalwood is excellent for adults where the skin is dry, yet still acne prone.
There are many recipes where cold pressed citrus oils are recommended, due to their antiseptic and astringent nature. They can be effective where acne is accompanied by the overproduction of sebum. However, they are known to produce photo-sensitization, meaning they make the skin far more susceptible to sunburn. For this reason, their use should be limited to dabbing on location, and only where one will not be exposed to significant sunlight for the next couple days (getting moderate amounts of sun is probably something you should be doing, and not avoiding, in any case).
When creating a blend for both treatment of current outbreaks and prevention of further ones, you’ll mix your select essential oils into what are called “carrier oils”. The carriers we’ll chose have therapeutic anti-acne properties themselves, and will create an incredibly effective formula when combined with the essential oils. There’s no need to be concerned with clogging of pores, or exacerbating an over-oily condition. Any of these carriers can be used alone, or all can be blended together: tamanu nut, virgin coconut (may need to be warmed before becoming liquid for blending), and grapeseed. You’ll find testimonials for both tamanu and coconut alone for acne treatment; tamanu is also considered to stimulate healing of acne scars too, and grapeseed is simply a light oil with natural astringent properties.
Here’s the crucial part about blending — many people make the mistake of thinking “more is better” with the essential oils — that they should use a higher concentration than recommended, as it’ll be more effective. The point is that the essential oils are profoundly potent, and that continually using them at high concentrations can cause the skin to be irritated and inflamed, exacerbating the condition rather than healing it. Stick with the recommended 5% concentration (by the way, this is quite high for skin care formulas, but has been used successfully for acne care — you may need to reduce this if you find your skin being irritated by this high a dilution). Using a standard glass eyedropper, there are approximately 20 drops per milliliter; 1 milliliter (ml) in one ounce of carrier oil is a three percent concentration. So about 7 drops of essential oil in one ounce of carrier is one percent, and 35 drops is five percent. To be most accurate, you may want to count the drops using a measuring pipette, or dropper with a mark at 1 milliliter — these numbers can be significantly different depending on the dropper you’re using.
A very effective formula for teens would be this: In one ounce of equal parts Coconut oil (you may need to warm before mixing) and tamanu carrier oil, add 9 drops each of tea tree, myrtle, geranium and lavender. For adults, try 9 drops each tea tree, myrrh, spike lavender and rosewood. If skin is dry, add sandalwood as well. These both offer incredible blends of antiseptic, balancing and anti-inflammatory essential oils. You can reduce the total number of essential oils and add a little more of each, or select different oils if you think they’d be a better choice for you. Many people have had excellent success using natural essential oils and carrier oils to treat their acne, with many benefits not available from synthetic preparations. You’ll smell great while you look great, too!
The author, manager of The Ananda Apothecary, regularly employs pure essential oils and flower essences in her professional wellness practice.
Aromatherapy Skin Care: Essential Oils For Acne TreatmentunratedSusanLions-22010-09-07 10:19:32One of the most well-known and ubiquitous features of essential oils is their antiseptic nature. Many people use an essential oil for the first time in their lives for this application. They’ll be handed a bottle of tea tree for a small cut, and they’re using an essential oil as an antiseptic. Essential oils can be highly effective for the treatment of acne — perhaps better than many pharmaceutical preparations — because of their complex antiseptic chemistry. In addition to being antiseptic, they offer both anti-inflammatory and sebum/hormone balancing effects, along with general healing properties for the skin. Here’s a look at using essential oils for the treatment of both teenage and adult acne, including which oils to use and how to blend them.
essential oilsAromatherapy Skin Care: Essential Oils For Acne TreatmentOne of the most well-known and ubiquitous features of essential oils is their antiseptic nature. Many people use an essential oil for the first time in their lives for this application. They’ll be handed a bottle of tea tree for a small cut, and they’re using an essential oil as an antiseptic. Essential oils can be highly effective for the treatment of acne — perhaps better than many pharmaceutical preparations — because of their complex antiseptic chemistry. In addition to being antiseptic, they offer both anti-inflammatory and sebum/hormone balancing effects, along with general healing properties for the skin. Here’s a look at using essential oils for the treatment of both teenage and adult acne, including which oils to use and how to blend them.