Infusing your cleansing routine with essentials oils

What if I told you that you could infuse your daily skin care routine with essentials oils?

If you like that idea, the first thing you'll want to do is determine your skin type. The most common skin types are:

• dry
• oily
• combination
• normal

If you identify with your skin feeling tight, then your skin is likely dry.

If there's a noticeable shine on your nose and forehead, then your skin is most likely normal or combination.

If there's a shine on your cheeks as well as your forehead and nose, you most likely have oily skin.

Depending on your skin type, you'll want to use certain carrier oils and essentials oils to help support and give your skin what it needs to bring out its natural beauty.

Now that you've determined your skin type, it's time to find the right carrier oil to satisfy your skin's needs:

• Sweet almond oil: works best for dry and eczema skin types
• Avocado oil: works best for sensitive, dry and wrinkle-prone skin types
• Grapeseed oil: works best for oily, acne-prone and sensitive skin types
• Wheat germ oil: works best for protecting skin and soothing dry skin

Best essentials oils to satisfy your skin's needs:

Now you can start creating your own skin care essentials!

I'd like to share seven vital tips to consider before starting:

• Use the appropriate dilution
• Apply products in the right order
• Use a patch test to rule out any reactions or sensitivities
• Never apply essential oils near your eyes
• Avoid direct sunlight, especially after using citrus oils
• Make sure to use skin-safe essential oils
• Avoid storing essential oils in plastic containers, as the essentials are very potent and can degrade the plastic

Cleansers

Regular cleansing is needed to keep your skin looking radiant and healthy. By creating your own natural cleanser, you'll boost the anti-aging process, hydrate your skin and promote a healthy lifestyle. Without proper cleansing, your skin would be covered with layers of dirt and excess oils, which may reduce the many active benefits of the natural carrier oils and essentials oils suitable for your skin type. The following two recipes helped me with my combination skin type.

Hydrating Cleanser
Ingredients:
½ to 1 cup sweet almond or grape seed oil
1 tbsp baking soda
3–5 drops lavender essential oil
3–5 drops clary sage essential oil
3–5 drop ylang ylang (if prone to acne, you can also add 3–5 drops of tea tree essential oil)

Directions:
Combine all your ingredients in a container of your choice
Store in an airtight jar and keep in a cool place
Shake gently before use
Pour out a quarter-size amount into your hand and rub on a damp face
Rinse and enjoy your clean skin!
Skin care products have a shelf life. This DIY recipe lasts for around two months.

Foamy Facial Wash for Oily Skin
Ingredients:
1 cup filtered water
¼ cup grapeseed oil
2 tsp honey
3–5 drops of tea tree oil
3–5 drops of lavender essential oil
3–5 drops of rosemary essential oil
Glass foaming soap dispenser

Directions:
Add filtered water to jar first to avoid suds from soap
Add the remaining ingredients
Slowly stir the facial cleanser, combining everything well
Replace the foaming soap dispenser pump
Shake lightly before use
Pump some foaming facial cleanser into your hand and rub on a damp face
Rinse and enjoy your clean skin!
Skin care products have a shelf life. This DIY recipe should be used within one month. Slight separation of the soap is normal; mix well before each use.

Exfoliators

Exfoliation is so important because it helps remove dead skin from the surface and improves overall skin tone. I feel that something special happens when you mix essentials oils into an exfoliating scrub: the scent from the essential oils and the resulting texture is really satisfying to your skin. The most common exfoliating scrubs are made with salt, sugar or coffee. I love to use natural sea salt; himalayan pink salt is my favourite as it adds an extra boost of nutrients. Sugar is known for being gentle on sensitive skin and yes, coffee is known for its detoxifying effects on the skin.

How to make your exfoliator
Measure one cup of your choice of exfoliation base (salt, sugar or coffee) and put in a mixing bowl or a Mason Jar. Add up to 20 tsp of carrier oil and 5–20 drops of essential oils. I like to add the essential oil last and apply it right on top of the carrier oil; I find that it incorporates into the scrub mixture better this way. Mix until the scrub is coated with oil. Store in a glass or metal container. The good news with this one is that, since this scrub recipe doesn't contain water, it can last up to six months.

Exfoliator recipes

Citrus scrub
Ingredients:
10–20 tsp carrier oil (sweet almond, grapeseed, avocado or wheat germ)
5 drops orange essential oil
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
One cup scrub (your choice of salt, coffee or sugar)

Mint scrub
Ingredients:
10–20 tsp of carrier oil (sweet almond, grapeseed, avocado or wheat germ)
7 drops peppermint essential oil
7 drops spearmint essential oil
One cup scrub (your choice of salt, coffee or sugar)

Cinnamon lip scrub
Ingredients:
1 tsp grape seed oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 drop cinnamon oil
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix until blended. The mixture will have a pasty texture. Rub a small amount on lips for about a minute to exfoliate and soften. Wipe and rinse lips clean.

Note: If you want to personalize your skin care, choose your carrier oil based on your skin type and essential oils to satisfy your skin cravings. Make sure to use the right ratio of carrier oil and essential oils: use as many different oils as you wish, as long as the total number of drops used is right.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4988453/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4869672/