The Complete Essential Oils Sourcebook: A Practical Approach to the Use of Essential Oils for Health and Well-Being. Julia Lawless
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attitude. This aromatic mixture complemented exactly the needs of the patient, and was compared to the negative of a film, with its reversed shadows and light. It was made up using essential oils of different densities. She also found that in the course of a treatment, it was often necessary to modify the mixture as the client’s condition changed.
The Ancient Egyptians used plants for their cosmetics value, and also knew about their powers as preservatives.
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Mme. Maury did not use an alcoholic base for her prescription, as would a perfumer, but mixed the essences with a vegetable oil carrier for direct application to the skin. She noted that essential oils were rapidly absorbed in this way, but that different essences passed through the skin at different rates according to their viscosity. Although the heavy, resin-bearing essences often had the greatest influence on the quality of the tissues on a deep cellular level, they were the slowest to be assimilated, while the very light and fluid essences penetrated easily into the extra cellular fluids4 that play a key role in maintaining the body’s state of balance. When preparing aromatic remedies for rejuvenation, it is therefore valuable to incorporate several essences of various densities so as to create a synergy, or, to use the language of perfumery, a perfect accord of top, middle, and base notes.
Further information on the blending of oils, and the principles of perfumery can be found here.
Essential oils for the skin and hair
THERE ARE MANY ESSENTIAL oils that are useful skin-care agents: oils such as sandalwood, geranium, palmarosa, bergamot (which should be bergapten-free), myrrh, and frankincense. These are all very valuable additions to the beauty therapist’s list of ingredients, or an aromatherapist’s collection of massage oils. There are also many essential oils which make excellent conditioning treatments for the hair and scalp due to their pleasing scent, gentle action, and powerful antiseptic properties. These include rosemary, West Indian bay, and sage, which can help to regulate the activity of the sebaceous glands, cleanse the scalp of bacterial infection, and disperse dead skin cells. Lavender oil is also said to smooth knots and tangles and encourage hair growth.
However, there are five essential oils that stand out as being especially valuable for general skin and hair care because of their skin compatibility. They are all mild on the skin (nonirritant, nonphototoxic and generally nonsensitizing), yet they possess powerful medicinal properties, being bactericidal, antiseptic, cytophylactic (healing), or anti-inflammatory, and all have a long history of use as cosmetic aids. These five oils are indispensable for all who wish to take an interest in the overall health and beauty of their skin.
Skin-care oils
For a guide to the properties of essential oils see here and for details of base oils used in skin care see here.
Sources for some of the best oils for the skin and hair. From left to right: palmarosa, rosemary, geranium, and lavender.
Essential oils can be used for hair, scalp, and face in many ways.
Valuable oils for the skin
Rose has long been used as a favorite perfume ingredient and cosmetic oil. It is one of the most useful skin-care oils because, apart from its rich, feminine scent, it has good wound-healing properties which help in the daily process of skin repair. Rose oil and rose water have been used as ingredients in cosmetics for centuries, and their effects have been well tried and tested. Rose oil can help to keep the skin healthy, lubricated, and elastic, making it less prone to wrinkles. For general skin care, it is suited to all types of complexion, particularly dry, sensitive, and aging or mature skin.
Roses have been cultivated for use in beauty and therapeutic products for centuries.
Lavender is perhaps the most versatile skin-care oil of all because, although it has excellent antiseptic properties, it is very mild on the skin. It is also an excellent cicatrizant or wound-healing oil, which promotes tissue regeneration in everyday use and prevents scarring when used to treat damaged or injured skin. It is a valuable oil for all types of skin injury, but also for the treatment of a wide range of specific skin conditions. It is suited to all types of complexion, particularly oily and blemished skin. This gentle oil can safely be used neat if required.
Chamomile oil is a well-known soothing remedy, and particularly well suited to children. Because of its sedative and relaxant properties it is especially good for all types of skin complaints that have a nervous or stress-related element, such as the many types of dermatitis or eczema. It is also the best anti-inflammatory herb. Like rose oil it is good for sensitive skin, but it is especially indicated for all types of swelling, irritation, rashes, red or sore skin, including allergic skin conditions. Both Roman and German chamomile can be used in skin care.
Neroli (derived from orange blossom) and the similar petitgrain (from the leaves of the bitter orange tree) are powerful bactericidal and antiseptic agents with excellent cytophylactic properties (encouraging the formation of new skin cells). Like rose and lavender, they have a most beautiful, classic scent, which is uplifting, fresh, and citrus-like. Orange flower water is traditionally used to soften the skin and it also has a gentle toning and astringent action. Neroli, petitgrain, and orange flower water are beneficial for all skin types, including normal or combination skin.
Tea tree is a valuable skin-care agent because it has excellent antiseptic, fungicidal, and antiviral properties, yet is very mild on the skin. It can be used for a wide range of specific skin conditions and for more general disinfectant purposes. In a theoretical comparison between tea tree and other antiseptics used for skin care, tea tree oil came closest to having all the properties of an ideal skin disinfectant.4 Although this oil is generally used medicinally, it is a useful addition to a collection of oils for cosmetic use.
Tea tree oil and its uses
Tea tree oil is particularly indicated for infected skin conditions, including injuries (especially where there is pus or dirt), and for combating fungal diseases such as tinea or candida. It is also excellent for treating problems of viral origin such as cold sores, genital herpes, warts, and veruccas. It is especially recommended for use by those with blemished skin, acne, and greasy complexions.
In massage tea tree is diluted, and usually combined with other oils.