How Do I Prepare A Solution
As a rule of thumb, essential oils should be diluted in a carrier substance at no greater concentration than 3-5%.
That means if you have one teaspoon of carrier, you would add 3 drops of pure essential oil. This would make a 3% solution that could be used on a portion of the body.
For massage or for application over large areas of the body, a 1% solution is generally a safe concentration. For infants, using a 0.25% solution is recommended .Note: If you use water as a carrier, be sure to shake or mix your solution well before application.
What carrier oil should I use?
Common carrier oils are often available in natural foods stores or stores that specialize in natural bath and body products. Organic and cold-pressed carrier oils are preferred, and examples include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or avocado oil. These oils do not have a strong smell of their own. They should be kept refrigerated until used and should be discarded if they smell rancid. For wound care, an ideal essential oil would be gentle to the skin and antimicrobial. Some essential oils can be used in different ways. For example, true lavender essential oil can be used on the skin for cuts and minor burns, and it can be inhaled to promote relaxation and sleep. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be used undiluted on small areas of the skin.
What are the techniques?
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Best Essential Oils For Healing Wounds And Scrapes
Backdoor SurvivalEssential OilsHealth, Wellness and Survival Medicine10 Best Essential Oils for Healing Wounds and ScrapesJodie Weston
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Skin is a strong and yet delicate human organ. Just remember how many times you scraped your knees and elbows when you were little. And, how easy it is to get a bruise or a paper cut.
Little cuts and scrapes that we get by doing daily chores do not pose a significant risk to our body as they heal pretty quickly on their own. But have you ever wondered how would you treat an open wound if there was no medical help available?
Take your inspiration from people who used essential oils to treat battle wounds long before the pharmaceutical industry was in the picture.
Having a couple of antiseptic essential oils in your survival kit could help you prevent life-threatening infections . The world is full of germs and, as we all know, natural disasters set breeding ground for infectious diseases epidemics.
Keep on reading to find out what essential oils are best at restoring and protecting our natural defense barrier that is skin.
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Best Essential Oils To Prevent Wound Scarring
The skin is the biggest organ of the human body and deserves maximum care. If a cut or wound has happened and you would like to prevent later scarring, here are some tips for you:
Do Toss Out Older Oils
Dont keep any oil for more than three years, do toss them if they cross their expiration date. Older oils may not work well and could even irritate or cause an allergic reaction on the skin. They are also more likely to be spoiled because of exposure to oxygen. If you observe a big change in the way the oil feels, looks, or smells, you should throw it out, they are the signs of spoiled oil.
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Is It Safe To Use Coconut Oil And Other Oils On Your Skin And Hair
The use of natural oils for skin and hair care has been around for years: An article published in the Journal of Experimental Botany suggested civilizations in ancient Egypt, for example, dabbled in their use, while other research has suggested ancient Greek athletes slathered olive oil on their skin, perhaps to make their skin appear more luminous during competitions.
Rajani Katta, MD, a clinical assistant professor of medicine and board-certified dermatologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Bellaire, Texas, says that we have centuries of experience to show that it is uncommon for natural oils including coconut oil, olive oil, and sunflower seed oil to cause allergic reactions. I think one of the reasons that natural oils have really come back into prominence is because there has been a search for moisturizers that A) don’t cause allergic reactions, B) don’t have as many of the chemicals that trigger allergic reactions, and C) are cost effective, she says.
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Another factor to consider before using natural oils is how soon you intend to be in the sun after applying them. If you are using them on the face, I would be definitely very careful, Katta explains. Because they are oils, it’s an intensified effect of using radiation on facial skin.
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How To Use Essential Oils For Scars
Topical Application
As you probably guessed, topical application is the best ways to use essential oils for scars. As a scientific systemic review points out, Once the oils are in the system, they remodulate themselves and work in a friendly manner at the site of malfunction or at the affected area.
Take two to four drops total of one or more than one of the essential oils for scars I just mentioned and combine with a carrier oil like coconut oil. Shea butter is also a another great option for dilution. Rub the mixture onto the area of concern twice a day and continue until desired results are reached.
Using shea butter and coconut oil for scars, along with essential oils, is a great way to boost your scar reducing efforts. Applying coconut oil or raw shea butter to a wound or scar helps to keep that skin area moist, which may help prevent a scar or keep a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy. In addition, the omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in both shea butter and coconut oil have been shown to inhibit keloid scar tissue and repair skin.
Once you apply the mixture of essential oil with coconut oil and/or shea butter, you dont need to wash it off. Just be careful that you dont stain your clothing or furniture, etc., depending upon the location of the area of concern. Other carrier oil options include jojoba oil, almond oil, argan oil, and olive oil.
Possible Side Effects and Caution
Final Thoughts
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Organic Oils Vs Essential Oils: Is There A Difference
Many people have olive oil, coconut oil, or sunflower seed oil in their kitchen cabinet. But can the same oils you cook with be applied to your face? Katta confirms that organic and unrefined products are your best bet. “The kind of coconut oil that you cook with has a higher smoke point , so it’s a little bit better for cooking, but in order to refine it, you may be taking out some of the chemicals that may actually have beneficial properties, she says. For that reason, Katta recommends extra-virgin, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil for hair and skin care, versus more refined products.
On the other hand, though essential oils, such as tea tree, argan, and lemon oil, are also increasingly common ingredients in skincare products, they are more likely to produce allergic reactions than olive and coconut oil, Katta says. Tea tree oil has developed a reputation for being a great sort of antibacterial, antifungal ingredient. It does have those properties, but you really have to use it very carefully, she says.
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She warns that in some cases, the effects of tea tree oil on skin could be dangerous. I would never use it on open skin, because I have seen people develop allergic reactions when they were using it on cracks in the skin from eczema, for example.
Roll Directly On Your Skin
You can also reap the benefits by applying essential oils to your skin, where its absorbed into your body. But Dr. Lin cautions against directly applying most essential oils to your skin without diluting them.
With few exceptions, its best to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil, such as coconut or jojoba oil, to avoid skin irritation, she says.
Some people put their essential oil blend into a small rollerball bottle for easier application.
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How Oils Are Used For Skincare
Cosmetic and skincare companies frequently use natural oils as ingredients in their products. Natural oils are popular because many are gentler on the skin than synthetic ingredients. Youll find natural oils in all types of products, including cleansers, moisturizers, face masks, soaps, face oils, serums, and more.
Many natural oils, like coconut oil, can be directly applied to the skin. Although, you should be careful when using oils directly on your faceespecially if you have oily or acne-prone skin.
Note that natural oils are not the same as essential oils. Essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil because they are very potent and can cause irritation. Do a patch test on your skin when using any product for the first time to check for potential allergic reactions.
How Can Essential Oils Help Remove Scars
Many essential oils are believed to be useful for scars in many ways. Using essential oils can help regenerate dead skin cells and form new skin tissues. Moreover, some essential oils also give many rejuvenating benefits to the skin. They may help reduce inflammation and redness on scars. As a result, they balance skin tone and reduce the appearance of scars.
You often feel severe itching on scars, and this itching can cause scratch scars. Likewise, some essential oils can lower the itching sensation on wounds and scars. Some oils also have the potential to heal wounds at the beginning level. So, your best essential oil for scars may be one of those oils and may heal wounds without letting them become scars.
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Do Stop Use If Your Skin Reacts
Your skin might love essential oils. But if it doesnât — and you notice a rash, little bumps, boils, or just itchy skin — take a break. More of the same oil can make it worse. Whether you mixed it yourself or itâs an ingredient in a ready-made cream, oil, or aromatherapy product, gently wash it off with water.
Benefits Of Essential Oils
Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy, a kind of complementary medicine that uses smell to improve your health or applied topically to the skin.
Studies have shown that essential oils may help:
Here are some common essential oils and their benefits:
Lavender oil
Lavender is Dr. Lins go-to oil. Its gentle and has a lot of benefits. You can use it in a variety of ways, she says.
Try adding it to a bath or diffuser as aromatherapy, adding to water to make a room spray or body spritzer, or combining with a base oil to make body oil.
Lavender can help with stress, pain and sleep. Before the discovery of antiseptics, lavender was also used as a cleaning agent in hospitals, Dr. Lin says.
There have also been studies that show using lavender oil can potentially disrupt hormones in young boys.
Tea tree oil
Dr. Lin says most people use tea tree oil as an antiseptic, antimicrobial or antifungal. You can also use it to help with:
- Acne. Take a cotton swab and dip it into tea tree essential oil. Then, apply it directly on the acne this is one exception where you dont have to dilute it, says Dr. Lin. It can help resolve acne faster.
- Athletes foot and ringworms. Dilute it with a carrier oil and put the blend on the affected skin.
One note of caution: Since tea tree oil can be neurotoxic, Dr. Lin says you shouldnt diffuse it if you have small children or animals at home.
Frankincense oil
Peppermint oil
- Support digestion.
- Support memory.
Eucalyptus oil
Lemon oil
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Why Use Essential Oils For Scars
Essential Oils have many different properties in them, depending upon the variety. If you are trying to reduce the appearance of a scar, whether it is old or new, there are certain oils that have highly beneficial antibacterial and antioxidant properties, all which work together to clean, revive, and heal the skin.
Essential oils are well known for their cicatrisant properties. This means that they have the ability to help regenerate the skin at a cellular level, aiding in tissue regrowth. And what does this mean for you? It means that your body will be able to heal itself, slowly regrowing a new group of cells to compensate and replace the old ones that are scarred or blemished in some way.
Using Essential Oils For Skin
Want smooth, clean skin? Because they are soothing, purifying, and calming, essential oils provide a natural option for creating a clear, glowing complexion.
If you are wondering, How do I use essential oils for skin? youll be happy to know that there are dozens of ways to use essential oils to maintain healthy-looking skin. Whether your skin is dry, oily, irritated, or lackluster, weve complied the best essential oil DIYs to give you the beautiful skin you are looking for.
Dont delaygive one of these DIYs a try and help soothe, moisturize, or cleanse your skin today!
Essential Oil Cuticle Cream
Dry, peeling, unhealthy cuticles can be a painful annoyance. If youve tried desperately to bring moisture and softness back to your cuticles and the skin around your nails without success, you might need a little help from essential oils. This essential oil Cuticle Cream will help to moisturize dry or cracked areas around the cuticles.
Fractionated Coconut Oil, Myrrh, and Lavender oil will soothe dry, damaged cuticles as Shea butter and beeswax moisturize and soften the skin. If you experience uncomfortable dry skin in other areas, this cream can also be applied to the hands, lips, and anywhere else you might need an extra dose of moisture.
Strawberry Lime Sugar Scrub
Bronzing Lotion Stick
Whipped Peppermint Foot Lotion
Essential Oil Clay Facial Mask
Razor Relief Serum
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Best Essential Oils For Healing
The best essential oils for healing are comprised of a complex network of molecules that each carry different effects to the body. Their power to beat disease is so effective that, under the supervision of a natural health expert and herbalist, you may be able to avoid the having to use needless drugs or have unnecessary surgeries.
The list is long, but after careful research Ive narrowed the top 10 best essential oils that can help you the most! You can learn more about how to use these and other fabulous essential oils in my book, The Healing Power of Essential Oils.
The Best Products With Lavender Oil
Greenfield loves this gentle body wash for its subtle scent and calming ingredients, including lavender oil, chamomile, and green tea extracts.
This 100 percent pure essential oil is made from certified organic flowers, which means it only contains the good stuff and none of the bad, like synthetic ingredients and parabens. We’ve even named it one of the best essential oils on the market.
If you’re prone to breakouts, you’ll want to keep one of these rollerball spot treatments within arm’s reach at all times. The blend of essential oils , targets your pimples without totally drying them out, which is why it won a .
Another Eco Beauty Award winner, this oil balm is the bomb. Come for the cool consistency and blue color, stay for the calm complexion you get from the lavender, blue tansy, and geranium oils.
A , this 100 percent certified organic lavender oil was steam-distilled in France, so you know it’s good. Try mixing it with a carrier substance for topical application.
This formula is packed with plant oilslavender, jojoba, sandalwood, frankincense rosehip seed oil, to name a fewbut still feels light on the skin and perfect for oily acne-prone complexions.
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