Most of us will do the kitchen-made masks and massage creams but may stay away from essential oils—believing them to be too potent to use on the skin. That is a mistake. If used correctly, essential oils can prove to be a natural, organic and skin-nourishing tactic in aging gracefully without showing much of it on your skin!
Essential Oils Basics
Let’s start with understanding what essential oils are. They are naturally occurring ingredients found in various plant parts like seeds, stems, flowers, roots, and the bark—the aroma you get from plants often comes from these polyphenol compounds. Furthermore, these oils don’t just have great aroma but are rich in many beneficial phytochemicals that have skin beneficial vitamins, minerals, and other compounds as well. Each essential oil has its own delicate and unique balance of organic components that provide the skin with goodness in various ways.
Essential Oils for the Skin
To understand how essential oils prevent aging, we have to revisit the age-old concept of oxidative damage. We breathe in oxygen simply because oxygen is what keeps us breathing. This oxygen is further broken down in our body and then used for internal respiration by all the cells that make us, us. This breaking down of oxygen produces a rather unpleasant side effect in the form of negatively charged electrons which are then called free radicals. These free radicals turn into bullies smashing and pushing their way inside the cell structures of the body, thus causing damage. This damage accumulates over time and snowballs into what we call aging! The only way to combat this is with antioxidants. These chemicals bind these free radicals and render them harmless, unable to cause damage. Antioxidants work as anti-aging superheroes then. Certain essential oils contain a multitude of antioxidants which when applied to the skin, search and bind the free radicals and protect the skin from internal and external damage.
Anti-Aging Essential Oils
Many essential oils have many different skin benefits—like tea tree oil works well to combat acne. The same way, specific essential oils help in anti-aging with their immense antioxidant ingredients so they can be excellent tools in your fight against aging…Here go the top five anti-aging essential oils:
- Coffee Oil: As good as it is to make a coffee face mask or scrub, coffee essential oil can work even better. This essential oil is rich in polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants that search and destroy free radicals and protect the skin from internal damage. Two to three weeks of regular use should show a reduction in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation. It will also help in improving skin tone and give you a brighter visage.
- Rose Oil: The rose essential oil is known to be one of the best oils for mature and aging skin and the skin in general. With a wonderfully romantic and uplifting scent, it helps in improving circulation and healing the skin from within, plus also maintains the skin’s elasticity by protecting the skin’s collagen and delaying the onset of wrinkles.
- Frankincense Oil: Frankincense essential oil has moisturizing and healing properties so it speeds up the cell regeneration process. It can help tone and “lift” the skin by reducing any spottiness, pigmentation, and sag, and also help in reducing the appearance of scars and stretch marks.
- Myrrh Oil: Myrrh essential oil boosts the body’s immune mechanisms against many environmental factors as well—which not only helps the skin in preventing oxidative and sun damage but also protects it from harmful toxins such as lead and other metals.
- Lavender Oil: Lavender essential oil aids in the hydration of normal to dry skin and is so effective that it can even help alleviating extremely dry skin like eczema and the treatment of wounds. Studies are also indicating that lavender oil may prove very beneficial in the case of alopecia (hair loss and balding) and aid in hair regrowth.
How to Use Essential Oils Right
- The first thing to remember about essential oils is that they are very concentrated, so a direct application will harm the skin – too much of a good thing is often bad.
- To use an essential oil on the skin, you must dilute it with carrier oils like coconut, olive, rosehip, avocado, or sweet almond that offer skin beneficial properties as well.
- The ratio is 12 drops of essential oil per 30ml of carrier oil.
- Mix well and apply on clean, dry skin at night before going to bed to really let your skin soak in the anti-aging benefits of the essential oil of your choice.
- Make sure the oil is organic and sourced from reputable sources.
- Do an allergy-patch test of this essential oil-carrier oil mix on the inside of your arm, 48 hours before you decide to apply the same on your face to make sure you face no adverse reactions.
Remember that anti-aging begins with a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and a balanced diet. Essential oils can help supplement your skin’s glow but vitality is more related to the way we live. So live well and laugh often for it’s not how long you live, but how well you lived!
