Essential oils are concentrated essences of your favorite natural herbs and scents. Some of the most popular include lavender, cedarwood, jasmine, citrus scents, tea tree, peppermint and ylang-ylang. While they are wonderful in aromatherapy, what you might not know is that these oils can also enhance your beauty routine naturally.
Before we get started – please note that essential oils generally aren’t applied directly to the body. You should use a carrier oil such as jojoba, coconut oil or organic lotion to enhance coverage and hydration while minimizing risk of skin irritation. The following are eight ways to use essential oils as part of a green beauty regimen:
1. Moisturize Your Locks
Essential oils are excellent for nourishing parched, damaged hair. Argan oil has gained quite a bit of popularity in recent years, but both avocado and castor oil also bring an abundance of essential vitamins and moisturizing fatty acids. These essential oils help to condition your hair and infuse it with nourishment.
2. Protect Hair and Promote Growth
If you spend a lot of time in the sun and love to swim in the ocean, you simply must try ylang-ylang essential oil. It has a strengthening effect on hair and protects it from the harsh effects of the elements. If you’d like to promote hair growth or offset thinning areas, try Jamaican black castor oil.
3. Brighten and Rejuvenate Dull Skin
Add life to your skin and make it glow with rose hip oil. Rose hip oil contains lycopene and vitamin C and has an energizing effect on dull, drab skin.
4. Firm Your Skin While Fading Stretch Marks
Add jasmine oil to your favorite organic lotion or carrier oil and massage into scars and stretch marks to help fade them while firming the skin and increasing elasticity. This treatment is excellent for use anywhere on the body.
5. Fight Acne
Adult acne and persistent breakouts are no match for tea tree or thyme essential oil. This oil has natural antibacterial properties and can head off breakouts before they start. Tea tree oil is also effective against dandruff, nail fungus and insect bites.
6. Detoxify
Block harmful free radical production and keep skin healthy with the detoxifying properties of carrot seed oil. This potent oil can help to offset the effects of environmental toxins and may even repair damage from the sun.
7. Exfoliate Naturally
One of the keys to fresh, youthful-looking skin is regular exfoliation. A highly beneficial way to slough away those old skin cells is with sweet almond oil. As a bonus, it also helps to lighten blemishes and even out your skin tone.
8. Natural Anti-Aging
Skip the harsh chemical peel and instead use patchouli, frankincense and geranium essential oils for a gentler alternative. Along with anti-aging effects, these oils have beneficial astringent properties. They tighten the skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and can also help to control eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.
Essential oils offer a safe and energizing way to enhance many of the steps in your current beauty regimen. They are an excellent complement to our Sheer Miracle line of cosmetics and skin care products. Try these eight all-natural essential oil green beauty tips and see what's possible!