Essential Oils for Sensitive Skin
If you have sensitive skin, you know how hard it can be to manage as well as find safe, non-irritating products to use. Redness, soreness, itching, and even flaking can be the dreaded side effects that arise from having sensitive skin. So, this may leave you wondering what Essential Oils are good for your particular type of skin and what carrier oils or topical items are best. Let’s dive in on this subject and find out some ideas on how to care for sensitive skin.
Sensitive skin is defined (by the Delphi method) as the occurrence of unpleasant sensations in response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. This may include stinging, burning, pain, pruritus and tingling. Essentially, it is referring to skin that is more prone to inflammation. Often, the key to tackling this issue is knowing what triggers your sensitivity. Oftentimes, dyes, artificial fragrance, and chemical-laden products are the culprit. By paying attention over time to what affects your skin, you can easily understand what products you can and can’t use topically.
Can You Use Essential Oils on Sensitive Skin?
As you know, Essential Oils are volatile compounds that are extracted from plants. This makes them incredibly potent as well. With that, it is important for you to know the correct and safe way to use them… on sensitive skin especially. Essential Oils are incredible for “normal” skin, as explained in this article, but what about more delicate skin?
The key to using these therapeutic oils with your special skin type is making sure you are using gentle and beneficial Essential Oils. Not only that, you also need to ensure that you are applying them topically with a nourishing carrier oil. These should be mild, moisturizing, and help to calm inflammation. More information on using Essential Oils topically here.
It is also pertinent to note that you should use a very low ratio of Essential Oils to carrier oil. We recommend starting with only 1% and seeing how your skin responds. If it handles it well, 2-3% should be the maximum while continuing with only 1% on the face. That is another reason why the quality of the carrier really matters. To learn more about diluting your oils, check out this blog.
Best Carrier Oils for Sensitive Skin:
- Grapeseed Oil– very lightweight and hypoallergenic, high in fatty acids and Vitamin E
- Hemp Seed Oil– powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, full of vitamins as well as omegas 3 and 6
- Sweet Almond Oil– a rich emollient that is ideal for very dry skin
- Argan Oil– well tolerated for sensitive skin, contains Vitamin E (a great antioxidant) and helps fight inflammation.
- Aloe Vera Gel– calming, hydrating, cooling, and soothing to irritated skin.
The Benefits of Essential Oils for Sensitive Skin
Just as the carrier oils above add helpful benefits to the dermis while getting the Essential Oil safely through the skin barrier, many of the Essential Oils themselves will offer the same therapies. Whether they are fighting inflammation, soothing dry, red skin, or balancing sebum, choosing the right oils for your skin is very important.
The chemical make-up of the Essential Oil determines what it is good for treating. For example, geraniol is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial and antioxidant. This means it can be useful for skin because it cleans away bacteria, fights free radicals, and soothes skin. So, when suggestions are made for what Essential Oils to use on your sensitive skin, know that they are chosen specifically for the healing that they provide.
What are the Best Essential Oils for Sensitive Skin?
A main component of Geranium is geraniol mentioned above. As a result, this floral oil is ideal for sensitive skin. Adding just a touch of Geranium oil to your skin care routine can help to balance sebum, calm irritation, and boost skin health all while keeping your skin bacteria free. This could help you fight acne as well just like the other Essential Oils listed here.
Lavender oil is one of the safest Essential Oils available. The soothing that it provides to the mind is also provided to the skin. With its strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, it helps to heal irritations, fight infection, and promote cell turnover.
This gentle oil is very beneficial for sensitive skin because it is also incredible for easing inflammation and fighting bacteria. Known to remedy eczema, damaged skin, and even rosacea, Chamomile is an excellent choice to aid in moisturizing and softening the skin. For other oils that help with eczema, check out this blog.
The flavonoid and terpene compounds found in this precious oil have shown to combat bacteria that can lead to skin rashes or infection. Additionally, the strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a top choice for sensitive skin applications because it can prevent scarring and heal skin quickly. Plus, Helichrysum contains Vitamin A which hastens the production of new skin cells and reduces collagen breakdown.
Often referred to as “liquid gold,” Rose oil is renowned for its rejuvenating abilities. When it comes to sensitive skin, we love Rose because it slows down the aging process (just like these oils) and provides vital moisture to the epidermis. Rose can soothe redness and irritation while also preventing blemishes as well. Alternatively, you can also utilize the by-product of Rose oil, Rose Hydrosol to refresh your skin and calm inflammation.
This citrusy, green floral has wonderful regenerative properties that help to resuscitate your skin at the cellular level. Neroli is antifungal, antibacterial, and an antioxidant so it will keep skin clear of pathogens and fight acne in conjunction with regulating skin’s sebum. If you want to try something a little less expensive, REVIVE Neroli & Rose Hydrosol is a great option to take the sting out of inflamed skin and leave it feeling soft and hydrated.
This resin oil is ideal for damaged and inflamed skin. Frankincense has proven to reduce redness and skin irritation as well as provide a soothing effect similar to steroids (due to its pentacyclic triterpene content). In addition, Frankincense may improve skin tone and reduce scarring because it is an astringent that heals imperfections and facilitates faster cell turnover.
We should note that if using organic Essential Oils is important for your family, REVIVE has many of those too.
Are There Any Essential Oils Those with Sensitive Skin Should Avoid?
Just as there are gentle Essential Oils that nourish the skin, there are others that may be a bit harsher on skin as well. Hot oils, which are warm or tingling when applied to the skin, are not recommended for sensitive skin, In fact, these particular oils must be diluted greatly even for those with “normal skin.”
Hot Oils Include:
- Clove
- Cinnamon
- Oregano
- Ginger
- Thyme
- Lemongrass
- REVIVE Protect
- REVIVE Immunity Boost
Additionally, there are some other Essential Oils that you may want to avoid due to its stronger nature. Peppermint, Birch and Wintergreen contain methyl salicylate and have a powerful cooling effect. In large amounts, this could cause discomfort to sensitive skin. Tea Tree oil is a potent antifungal that is great for killing germs and bacteria, but it may be too strong for irritated skin. Lastly, it is important to remember that most citrus oils are phototoxic. Their reaction to UV rays can make sensitive skin even worse by causing redness, burning, or peeling.
If Your Skin is too Sensitive for Topical Use, Consider Aromatherapy
In knowing and trying the safe oils for delicate skin, you might notice that you still cannot tolerate the use of Essential Oils applied topically…. and that is okay! In this case, you could simply use the carrier oils that we suggested all by themselves or the products recommended by your doctor. You always have the option of inhaling Essential Oils when you want the benefits of Aromatherapy. REVIVE has diffusers of all kinds to choose from and there are so many ways to use this natural therapy.
Recipes
If dry or damaged skin on your body tends to be your issue, try this DIY Soothing Moisturizer.
If your face is the sensitive type, give the following DIY a try.
Sensitive Skin Face Oil
Add the Essential Oils to the glass bottle, then carefully pour in the carrier oils. Close the top and roll in your hands to mix the oils up. Apply once or twice daily to clean, dry skin.
Final Thoughts on Essential Oils for Sensitive Skin
As you can see, having sensitive skin doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your incredible Essential Oils collection. Just remembering to utilize gentle, healing oils like the ones listed above and keeping a very low dilution of Essential Oils to carrier oil can help to protect and heal your skin. And when seeking those high quality, yet affordable oils, look no further than REVIVE.
Backed by third party testing from the most knowledgeable in the industry, you can rest assured that REVIVE’s products are top notch. The oils are sustainably sourced, community focused, and cruelty free which is why REVIVE is the #1 place to find Essential Oil products online.
This is also where you can find some of the best Essential Oil Kits, Roll-ons, Blends, and Diffusers. Additionally, there are some very helpful articles and DIY recipes available on the REVIVE Blog.
