My skin has been crazy this summer...
- Itchy Mariah
- Aug 20, 2016
- 3 min read
This has been the summer of seasonal skin discomfort for me. And by seasonal skin discomfort, I mean raging mystery rash. I still do not know what started it, but I do know my home made aloe vera and essential oil concoctions soothed me and helped my body heal itself.
The secret to all essential oil use, regardless of brand, is to dilute. I’m not even going to go into the purity debates. If you know me, you know what brand I use. So use whatever you want and feel comfortable with (and if you want my favorite company, email me or click my sales tab.) But here’s what I learned:
Myrrh essential oil is incredibly soothing to skin when it is diluted in all natural lotions or carrier oils.(4) It smells like the pages of an old bible to me. It is not a scent I enjoy on its own, in spite of happy church memories and the love of old book scent. I find a 1-3% dilution ratio works for me with myrrh essential oil.
Lemongrass has many, many uses for skin but must be HIGHLY diluted, to below 1%.(3) I find .5% works great and promotes clean healing while smelling good. Your body uses the organic constituents in it to naturally assist the immune system and there are some studies out there indicating lemongrass inhibits bacteria growth.(1)
Ginger – it was historically called the universal medicine.(2) It is technically considered non-irritating to skin, but I find it warming. It is considered a possible sensitizer by mainstream aromatherapy texts. Dilute! It has anti-inflammatory properties and may assist the body in naturally healing after a wheat gluten sensitivity reaction. (Aromatica, pg 203.)(1) I use this at a 1% dilution ratio.
All natural aloe vera is moisturizing and naturally soothing to abrasions. It needs a little bit of an emulsifier or the alcohol in witch hazel to help disburse essential oils. On its own its amazing and clearly I must add this plant to my garden rather than spend hundreds on buying it bottled. My Grandma Mildred always used aloe on my scraped knees and fingers, and I am eternally thankful for her lessons on plants, herbs, and gardening as a child. (God, I miss her.)
Witch Hazel – it’s a common additive to hemorrhoid creams and facial creams. Go grab a bottle of whatever butt cream you like and you’ll see it listed. It works great on my skin to soothe and calm redness. I like to mix a teaspoon or two of it in with 1.9oz of aloe vera in a spray bottle, using the above essential oils diluted at the ratios I discussed.
Fractionated coconut oil. It is somewhat annoying because it just feels odd when I squirt too much on but it makes a great moisturizer and works fantastic as a pH neutral, scent free carrier oil. I like it in rollerball blends.
Rollerball blends are easy and pocket sized. So here is my rollerball blend invention, and I even made this image. It is formulated at a dilution ratio considered safe by mainstream aromatherapy. Hope it helps you too! And what else can I say, but...it puts the lotion on its skin. HAHA!
RESOURCES (and inspiration.)
(1) Holmes, Peter. Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume I. Singing Dragon, 2016
(2) Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit: Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance with Essential Oils. Healing Arts Press, Gaia Books Limited, 1997.
(3) Tisserand, Robert and & Young, Rodney. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd Edition. Elsevier, 2014
(4) Doterra International. Myrrh. Retrieved on 20 Aug 16 from http://doterra.com/US/en/p/myrrh-oil
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