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Beautiful Naturally: Effective Essential Oils for Mature Skin

by: HelenaMasters
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Pure essential oils are found in many of the world's finest beauty care preparations for mature skin, with very good reason. Known effects of essential oils include stimulation of cellular metabolism, tissue regeneration, antioxidant action, anti-inflammatory effects, and hormone-like activity. These benefits form the therapeutic foundation for topical support of the health and beauty of aging skin. And while essential oils used in natural skin care many not sound as exclusive as some fancy laboratory-made concoctions from Europe, their results can certainly be as profound. The added plus being you can make a blend precisely suited to your skin's needs at a fraction of the cost of the high-end European imports. All the ingredients you'll require are often available at your local health food store, with the more exotic items found on the internet from providers of therapeutic-grade aromatherapy supplies.

You may ask, "What makes essential oils and their complementary carrier oils so effective for natural skin care?" The answer is found in nature herself. It happens that the elemental structures of plant oils are beautifully and decidedly compatible with that of our skin. Essential oils are easily absorbed through the skin's various layers, and even through the skin's individual cell walls. This compatibility makes the process of creating and using your own formulas extremely simple. One only need blend together a few ingredients to create a state-of-the-art healing and nourishing formula for better looking and feeling skin.

Let's have a look at the carrier oils, also aptly named 'base' oils. These are oils cold-pressed from seeds, nuts and fruit that will make up the foundation of any formula. There are several to choose from that support the health and beauty of mature skin. These natural oils will form 95-98% of your blend, with the essential oils being added as the 'active ingredients'. Avocado is first on the list, being included in many recipes for its hydrating and nutritive properties. Avocado is especially suited to dry skin, and should make up about one-fifth of the 'base' for dry-to-normal skin. Next is Apricot Kernel, also highly recommended for dry-to-normal skin, or for irritated and damaged skin. Apricot can make up the entire base if you so desire. Evening Primrose is a highly nutritive oil with a significant amount of essential fatty acids - important for building healthy tissues. Evening Primrose can make up to one quarter of the base. Hazelnut oil is very common in skin care blends, as it is well tolerated by all skin types. It can be especially useful for those with a tendency toward oily skin, as it has mildly astringent properties. Despite the seeming contradiction to applying 'oil' to an already 'oily' complexion, Hazelnut is recommended in the most advanced medical aromatherapy texts for this use - it can make up to 100% of the base. Perhaps the most important carrier oil to consider for mature skin is Rosehip seed - pressed from the seeds of a wild rose from South America, it contains research-validated vitamin A compounds that act like natural 'Retin-A', enhancing the skin's natural regeneration, lessening the appearance of fine lines, supporting healthy skin that may have endured sun-damage, and unifying skin coloration. Rosehip seed can, and should, make up to one quarter of your base recipe. For example, a four-ounce base formula specific for dry-to-normal skin may be one ounce Avocado, one ounce Rosehip seed and two ounces of Apricot Kernel - other oils should be substituted according to your skin type.

And now for the magic ingredients, the essential oils: Carrot Seed essential oil is distilled from the seeds of Wild Carrot, Daucus carota. It is considered one of the most potent revitalizing essential oils for the skin. It is chosen particularly as a remedy for dull, pallid and lifeless skin where one's lifestyle and/or environment may have taken their toll on the skin's vibrancy. Carrot seed has a smooth, earthy aroma that will blend well with many other oils. Also for revitalizing the skin, Rosemary Verbenone can be highly effective - this is a type of rosemary essential oil containing a higher amount of regenerative ketones than common rosemary. The essential oil 'displays its main activity in the dermis (the middle layer of the skin), where it stimulates the metabolic functions, circulation, and elimination of waste products' according to Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, one of America's leading medical aromatherapists, in his 'Advanced Aromatherapy'.

Essential oils that simulate the effects of estrogen have been found supportive of mature skin health. Perhaps as natural estrogen production lessens over time, these oils continue to give the skin a youthful hormonal environment. Two oils which can be considered are Clary Sage and Sweet Fennel. Each are noted by various authorities as exceptionally important for aging skin. Clary Sage is soft, sweet and herbaceous, with an aroma considered mildly euphoric to some. Sweet Fennel is a little stronger aromatically, and has been recommended for 'anti-wrinkle' formulas for every age. You may decide purely on the basis of your personal aromatic preference if you wish to include one of these estrogen mimicking oils.

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.

The formulas for therapeutic care for mature skin are fairly straightforward. Oftentimes, you can start with 10 drops of each essential oil per ounce of carrier oil. For example, if you have four total ounces of base oil, you could use 40 drops of each desired essential oil as a starting point. Much more essential oil than this is rarely better; in fact, many oils work best at low concentrations, and some can potentially irritate the skin at high doses. Further, if you are combining several essential oils together in one blend, try not to go over a 5% total concentration of essential oils (approximately 30 drops per ounce) - the face and neck are relatively sensitive areas, and will respond best to small amounts of nature's 'active' ingredients. If you are not working with a recipe, you can start with equal amounts of each essential oil, and adjust according to your perceived potency of each oil; some oils will have more powerful aromas than others, and you could likely do with slightly less in your overall blend. You can also adjust according to your aromatic preferences as well, creating a formula that not only supports your skin's health and metabolism, but smells lovely too.

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!

About the Author

More natural health information is available from the author at Ananda Aromatherapy Essential Oils and at the organic medicinal herb blog.

Beautiful Naturally: Effective Essential Oils for Mature Skin

About the Author

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