Use Essential Oils in Facial Skin Care? Are You Crazy?
PART 1
This is part one of a two part series
I’d have to say yes, you are. With all the incredible therapeutic benefits both physically and emotionally, yes, it would be a CRAZY GOOD idea to use essential oils in facial skin care. This is another area of confusing and contradictory information that rides around on the internet and even among professionals (especially dermatologists). The point of concern with the “it’s a crazy thing” group is the potential for essential oils to be allergens and highly sensitizing. Sensitization concern comes from repeated use and is not an immediate allergic response. Essential oils, though great in skin care, do come with some precaution, like many active ingredients do. So, rather than across the board dismiss them as some evil force that will have your skin screaming, let’s review the many benefits, the appropriate application and some of the issues that come up when using the oils in face care.
What the skin is
To have a proper discussion of skin care it’s a good idea to first review what the skin is. It’s an active, communicating organ that provides protection from, an analysis of, and harmony with, the extended outside environment. I say extended due to a perspective that there are no true boundaries between the body and the environment. Everything flows together and skin is best perceived as a point of interaction between the internal systems and the environment, or anything and everything that isn’t the body.
Skin is composed of two sections, the epidermis and the dermis (three sections if you count the fat cushioning subcutaneous level). The outer section, the epidermis, is composed of four cellular layers (five on the palms and bottoms of the feet). Its outermost layer is made of keratin cells (a hard protein structure with some flexibility), forming a shield or scale-like surface. Between these cells is the lipid barrier, an assortment of triglycerides, free fatty acids, cholesterol, sphingolipids, and ceramides. This extracellular mix is an important aspect to skin condition and protection. It is designed to let in what is necessary (water, some gases and oils) and keep the undesirables out, like pathogens, harmful chemicals and other potentially harmful environmental elements. The skin controls heat regulation, internal water content, and plays a vital role in immunity.
The skin:
is composed of 2 layers (the epidermis and dermis) above the subcutaneous tissue
is designed for protection from environment, sun damage, parasites and infection
regulates internal temperature and water content
There are several types of receptors within the epidermis (and the entire body), such as the endocannabinoid system, where a molecule that fits the receptor, the lock and key theory, has specific interaction and physical effects. Examples are the compound CBD (the cannabidiol compound from cannabis) and beta-caryophyllene (in copaiba and other essential oils), that have anti-inflammatory effects through this interaction, and the cooling effect of menthol due to binding and reacting with the surface TRPM8 receptor. Knowing about surface receptors changes the understanding of topically applied essential oil. This shows it isn’t necessary to have penetration into the blood stream to achieve therapeutic results.
Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, where all the stuff we are most familiar with lies, like capillaries, nerves and the oil (sebaceous) and sweat (sudoriferous) glands. Essential oils, or most other substances, used on the skin don't all make their way into the dermis and the capillaries to enter the blood stream. The epidermis is very adamant on what it will allow into the dermal area. Compounds like the terpenes in essential oils have somewhat of a relationship with the barrier lipids due to their small molecular size and the fact that lipids do like lipids, and are able to penetrate the epidermis, though some compounds or the whole oil may be stopped or pool at the base before entering the dermis and the blood stream. The idea that is often touted in “clean” skin care marketing, that about 60% of what you put on your skin will penetrate, is nonsense, the epidermal layer is designed to keep things out. Substances that do break through are either going through the keratin cells or the lipid barrier, examples would be DMSO and ethanol. Substances that do penetrate in this way may cause harm to these areas. Damage to the epidermal layer or the lipid barrier allow for penetration of compounds that normally would not be able to penetrate. Damage can lead to sensitization, allergic reaction and irritation.
Your skin reacts and communicates with everything it comes in contact with, whether it comes from a topical or internal source. Pay attention when reaction of the skin appears, thinking about what you have eaten, put on your skin, new cleaning products or new environmental concerns. There are essential oils known to be irritating, such as the irritants like oregano and thyme thymol type (phenols), and lemongrass and eucalyptus citriodora (aldehydes). The irritating effects of these oils is diminished when diluted at 20 - 50%. There may also be individual sensitivity issues to an essential oil unique to the individual. The easy solution to avoid irritation or allergic reaction is not to use known irritants or ones you know you’re sensitive to in your facial care.
The skin contains surface receptors that, in a lock and key fashion, communicate with molecules that stimulate reactions (such as ani-inflammatory, blood flow, or cooling sensations).
Most compounds used topically do not penetrate the epidermis, including essential oils
Some terpene molecules contained in essential oils are able to penetrate the epidermis to reach the blood stream.
There are known essential oil skin irritants, like lemongrass, oregano, and thyme thymol type.
There can be sensitivity or irritation to oils that are unique to the individual.
What the skin needs
Skin, like the rest of your body requires nutrients, water and protection from environmental damage. Diet is the first step in developing and maintaining healthy skin. The rainbow diet (variety of colorful vegetables and fruits) provides optimal nutrition for the skin. If the diet is bad, what you do on the surface won’t matter much. One of the most important functions of a healthy diet is to provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory action to protect skin cells and support healthy regeneration. These same functions should be primary in what you want from skin care.
As an advocate of using plant-based ingredients, my recommendation is to use extracts in skin care from the very foods that best benefit the skin. This will provide the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cell regenerate properties necessary for topical protection. There are many “active” ingredients, both synthetic and natural, that have great and specific benefit depending on the activity of the ingredients. With whatever the active is there to do, a good formula should still contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Essential oils are an ideal ingredient as they can provide potent anti-inflammatory action. Helichrysum, any of the cedar woods, copaiba, German chamomile, and kunzea are good examples. Generally these same anti-inflammatory oils will have good antioxidant protection and cell regenerative function.
Properties for skin care needs:
antioxidant
anti-inflammatory
support healthy cell regeneration
A healthy nutritional whole food diet is the first step in skin health and protection
Extracts from the healthy foods are used in facial care
Essential oils provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protection as well as having unique properties for symptoms and individual skin care concerns.
What the skin doesn’t need is stress
Including essential oils known to calm stress, anxiety and the fight or flight response will help protect the skin from stress related damage and inflammation. Stress has been shown to negatively affect development of the lipid barrier. Essential oils excel in the ability to reduce stress and anxiety, while simultaneously treating damage to the skin along with protection.
Stress, anxiety and the fight or flight response cause inflammation and free radical damage to skin.
Stress, anxiety and the fight or flight response cause inflammation and free radical damage to skin.
Emotional balance for healthy skin:
anti-anxiety
reduce fight or flight response
reduce nervous tension
stress relief
Essential oils are a holistic treatment that will reduce damaging negative emotions
The “natural is safer” debate
Essential oils are on the list of those who feel natural is better and safer than synthetics. Let me start by saying the synthetics vs natural debate is pointless. Whether one is better than the other is subjective with variations of better or not so good on both sides. The debate is best focused on the environmental impact in the source, production or the impact following going down your drain. If the natural or synthetic has limited or no negative environmental impact and deemed safe as used, the use of either becomes a personal choice. My preference is to use nature-based ingredients. There are synthetics that do good things in skin care and a majority of the fears surrounding their use is debatably overblown. Kind of like the topic of this article and how sensitization and allergies from naturals, in this case essential oils, is overblown.
Following is a common statement made to me personally by several cosmetic and medical scientists that shows an extreme lack of intelligence and logic. This quote is from an article on allergies and naturals relating to skin care by a member of the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, “Poison ivy is natural, arsenic is natural, and poisonous mushrooms are natural, so the term ‘natural’ doesn’t carry the mystique or cachet from a scientific point of view.” The logic of this debate escapes me. My only response is “who is the dumbass putting poison ivy in skin care?” I would never suggest sticking your face above an active volcano for exfoliation just because it’s natural. There are lots of plants, animals, and compounds in nature that are dangerous and, weird that I have to say this, don’t belong in skin care.
The conversation concerning the natural vs synthetic debate should revolve around ingredients used in skin care. The naturals are mainly the same ingredients that go into your dinner or used in plant-based medicine. Would scientists suggest putting DDT and perfluoroalkyl into their ratatouille just because some synthetics are safe and effective? That would be stupid. You’d only use edible ingredients in your diet, so using dangerous non-skin care ingredients as an argument to dismiss the safety and value of natural ingredients in skin care is at best, lame. Just to be fair, the discussion by many advocates of natural, including many Indie Beauty companies and the EWG organization, are equally lame in their arguments against synthetics. There’s a lot of BS, bad science.
The “natural vs synthetics” debate is pointless and useless
Many fears and safety concerns of synthetics and naturals are exaggerated or inaccurate
The argument used regarding the safety of naturals in skin care, such as “what about poison ivy?” is illogical and nonsensical. The discussion should be based on natural ingredients used in skin care.
Natural and sensitivity
In relation to the topic of allergens and sensitivity, my logic revolves around biologically familiar ingredients. Compounds that we have an evolutionary identity with will likely be more familiar to the body and, if there is a sensitivity, will often show immediately. Though, any substance that is active with the skin can cause sensitization over a prolonged period of daily use.
To stay in context with the natural aspect, essential oils as used in skin care are not used as would be naturally occurring in nature. Due to the developments of civilization and industrialization our lifestyle allows us to use naturals in an unnatural setting. Essential oils are used in a context removed from their natural setting, they are highly isolated and concentrated, and the everyday use would be something not attributed to what is available in the immediate environment and season. This can be understood in conjunction with the concept of eating whole food, local and seasonally. Eating local is based on a concept that as human animals in a natural environment the food source would have to be available (local) and dependent on seasonal growth. This comparison is only valid in understanding the evolutionary design of human biology which hasn’t progressed much since a time when repeating foods or herbals everyday wasn’t possible.
Repeated use of plants topically or in the diet, especially isolated extracts, may cause sensitization and reaction after daily use of weeks to years. We see this in a lot of sudden food allergies. This deserves more detail, but I’ll let it ride on this - periodically change your essential oils, your plant-based skin care and your diet. Your body is designed for diversity, so, mix it up to avoid sensitization.
The logic of using essential oils and plant-based naturals in skin care is due to the bio-familiarity of the ingredients
the body has an evolutionary identity with these natural compounds and will better identify them as irritants, safe or neutral.
natural “active” compounds have potential for sensitization, a reaction caused by repeated long term use.
changing the oils and other active natural ingredients regularly will help to avoid sensitization.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts and not used as they occur “in nature.”
Repeated use of plants topically or in the diet, especially isolated extracts, may cause sensitization and reaction after daily use of weeks to years.