Are you thinking about adding essential oils to your daily skincare routine? Essential oils offer many great benefits for our skin when used regularly, but it can be downright confusing to know which ones are best to start with. In order to clear up any misunderstandings, we turned to Suki Kramer, founder of the all-natural skincare line suki, and asked her to share her top 10 favorite essential oils that are best for beginners.
Keep reading in order to find out both what these essential oils do for our skin and how to use them.
- Lavender: is extracted mostly from the flowers of the lavender plant and essentially through steam distillation. It is antiseptic, and anti-fungal properties are renowned, and it’s one of those herbs that both stimulates AND calms and soothes both the skin and the mood. Lavender oil treats most skin concerns from acne, eczema, psoriasis and other inflammations to rosacea, aids in the formation of scar tissue and also helps to speed wound, cut and burn healing – to name just a few things it can do. It is also one of the only essential oils that can be used undiluted on the skin.
- Lemongrass: smells just like lemon, but earthier, milder and sweeter. It is, in fact, the same lemongrass used in many Thai and Chinese food dishes but when used topically, provides fabulous anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, as well as astringent and toning action. Lemongrass is also a great alternative to conventional, synthetic deodorants containing aluminum and other toxic ingredients.
- Rose: is one of the most prized essential oils for dry, sensitive and mature skin. In addition to the excellent emollient properties, it provides for the moisturizing dry skin. It will also offer antiseptic and astringent properties to treat acneic skin, as well as the underlying causes of acne, inflammation, redness and bacteria production. Rose oil can also help refine skin texture, controlling skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In skin care, the rosa damascena and rosa centifolia are the two most often used rose species. And, because thousands of plants are needed to produce a single ounce of rose oil. It is one of the most expensive essential oils. Good news is that because it is so concentrated, it only takes a few drops to reap the rewards.
- Lemon Verbena: from the leaves of the Aloysia triphylla, a shrub native to South America and known for its strong healing qualities and of course, lemon fragrance, this essential oil provides antiseptic, antibacterial and emollient activity, softening and toning puffy or irritated skin or treating acneic skin. Lemon verbena does have high citral levels.
- Grapefruit: like the fruit itself, grapefruit is rich in antioxidants, which boost our immune system and fight free radicals. Its anti-viral and anti-microbial properties make it particularly good for treating oily skin and acne, plus, the amazingly uplifting grapefruit scent is one of my faves for being so refreshing and spirit lifting! Like others in the citrus family, the oil is found in the peel and is extracted by compression. How to Make Your Own Signature Perfume.
- Cedar: also known as cedarwood, can come from one of three different cedar trees: the Atlas cedarwood, the Virginian cedarwood and the Texas cedarwood. Its grounding, calming and soothing qualities help relieve itchy skin. Cedar essential oil’s astringent qualities can help balance the skin’s oils and help with acne and oily skin but cedar has a slightly moisturizing content as well. Cedar oils are often found in shampoos formulated to control dandruff, but also in men’s lines due to the earthy aromatic value. Essential Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy.
- Chamomile: extracted from the flowers, there are actually two types of chamomile: German (blue) chamomile and Roman chamomile, and they both have superior calming and soothing properties plus solve a plethora of skin issues, not to mention emit a wonderful natural aroma. There are vast differences however, in the price and intensity (and active value) of each. Roman chamomile is a more widely used and available floral thus used for more basic and wide-ranging skin problems as well as even safe and gentle enough for babies, while the potent, blue, German chamomile is super intense anti-inflammatory containing Azulene-a nitrogenous compound that gives it that amazing deep blue hue and almost medicinal aroma. German chamomile’s natural anti-inflammatory properties are great news for those suffering from eczema, hives, or dry skin. Chamomile is popular in skin care and cosmetics because it can do so many things – from helping diminish scarring and protecting against infection to reducing redness, inflammation, puffiness and bacteria, to simply and profoundly calming down the complexion.
Related: 5 Best Face Oils You Should Use Every Day
You can purchase essential oils easily on Amazon and start mixing up your own skincare products at home. Essential oils work well in a wide variety of skincare products including body scrubs, facial oils, and bath salts.
Suki Kramer established suki clinically-proven natural solutions skincare with a commitment to education, empowerment, and 100 percent natural beauty products that work as they should. Suki’s vision for the brand is without fail reinforced by an open and honest belief that every beauty product should guarantee efficacy and longstanding benefits to its users. Her passion for effective, natural products and ingredients have made her a leader in the healthy skin movement.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website's content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra's expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
