Treating Common Skin Conditions Naturally with Essential Oils
Essential oils and natural botanicals are effective treatments for damaged skin and common sensitive and facial skin conditions. There are several natural extracts to choose from with powerful anti-inflammatory and cell regenerative healing properties.
Essential oils help relieve the stress, hormone imbalance and nervous conditions that may be the leading cause of sensitive inflamed skin conditions.
Natural, holistic methods - treating the physical symptoms, the emotions and addressing lifestyle and diet issues - are highly effective in relieving and managing some of the most difficult skin disorders, such as acne, atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.
Holistic skin care
A deeper understanding of skin disorders is made when the relationship between skin and the neuro-immuno-endocrine interface (NIEI) is considered. This relationship is referred to as the neuro-immuno-cutaneous-endocrine network. Breaking that down, it’s the connection and interactive behavior of the nervous system, the immune system, the skin and hormones.
As with many health disorders, diagnosing skin conditions may be challenging due to the complexities of the human being. A thorough consultation assists in unveiling the cause of skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, which may be due to factors such as stress, anxiety or food allergies. In a holistic diagnosis all detectable variables are considered along with their relationship to the skin.
Essential oils and natural botanicals are effective treatments for damaged skin and common sensitive and facial skin conditions. There are several natural extracts to choose from with powerful anti-inflammatory and cell regenerative healing properties.
Skin disorders and their potential cause
Internal inflammation and compromised immune function, that may come from stress related cortisol release, eating inflammatory foods, anxiety and/or a damaging lifestyle, are suspected causes of hard to treat skin conditions.
It's important to consider the role stress plays in the inflammatory response and the resulting skin conditions. The following is a list of potential causes for eczema, acne, rosacea and other similar skin conditions.
Allergies
Auto-immunity
Diet (poor diet, inflammatory foods, etc)
Dietary sensitivity (dairy, celiac gluten sensitivity, etc)
Environmental Causes
Genetics
Infection (bacterial, fungal, viral and demodex mite)
Inflammation (cortisol release, "fight or flight response")
Irritant exposure (including detergents and personal care products)
Leaky gut syndrome
Medications
Psychological factors
Stress and anxiety
Weakened immunity
How diet and lifestyle effect skin disorders
Health experts have made it clear that dietary and lifestyle are important factors in the health and well-being of the body and mind.
The recommendations made for general health and wellbeing; i.e., organic whole food diet, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatories and essential fatty acids; are the same recommendations made for skin health.
Lifestyle issues for better health and skin include exercise, adequate complete sleep, and good work habits.
Many skin conditions may be a result of food sensitivities or allergies. Inflammatory foods, such as processed high glycemic foods, are believed to be major suspects causing skin disorders.
Environment is a contributing factor to skin irritation and inflammation as well, and include pollens, pollution, work environment and social environment. These issues must be addressed for successful treatment with essential oils and botanical extracts.
Evaluation and formula for difficult skin conditions
The following treatment examples are based on a general evaluation of potential causes of the mentioned skin condition.
ECZEMA/ATOPIC DERMATITIS
This is a complicated inflammatory skin condition that is recognized by extremely itchy patches of skin that may be dry and flaky or sometimes oozing. There are immunological abnormalities and abnormal changes in blood vessels of the skin that are associated with atopic dermatitis.
Eczema is a term used often for atopic dermatitis. Eczema is generally defined with symptoms that includes broken compromised skin, erythema (redness), papules (small bumps), pustules (blister or pimple) and crusting of the skin.
Suspected causes include allergies, irritation, parasitic invasion, genetics, psychological factors and lifestyle issues.
INGREDIENT SUGGESTIONS:
Treatment formula for atopic dermatitis will be highly individualized with a common focus on anti-inflammatory and soothing essential oils. Ideal choices for atopic dermatitis are oils containing sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (copaiba, helichrysum, sandalwood), and sesquiterpene alcohols (patchouli, Atlas cedarwood, sandalwood).
The sesquiterpene (-)alpha-bisobolol (German chamomile, balsam poplar) is especially effective and soothing.
Therapeutic benefit and soothing quality is enhanced by including botanical extracts (vegetable and fruit oils, butters and herbals) that contain nourishing fatty acids, like argan, borage seed, blackberry seed or rosehip seed oils.
Avocado, olive and jojoba provide a protective and soothing coating when used at a higher percentage in atopic dermatitis formulas.
Shea butter and other botanical butters also provide protection and are extremely soothing to irritated skin.
Herbals can be specific to the individual and may include calendula to heal the skin or green tea for antioxidant protection.
These ingredient suggestions hold true for the following psoriasis and rosacea conditions.
SUGGESTED FORMULA
Add the following essential oil drops to an oil based formula in a one ounce (30 ml) container:
3 drops Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)
Anti-inflammatory, gentle circulatory stimulant, wound healing3 drops German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, soothing4 drops Frankincense supercritical extract (Boswellia carteri)
Anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, wound healing3 drops Helichrysum italicum
Anti-inflammatory, cell regenerative, scar reduction and prevention4 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)Soothing, general skin tonic, balancing, cell regenerative, Anti-infectious, stress reduction
3 drops Rosemary Verbenone Type (Rosmarinus officinalis CT Verbenone)Cell regenerative, scar Reduction and prevention, anti-infectious
DIY BASE FORMULA
10 ml coconut oil
10 ml sunflower seed oil
5 ml jojoba oil
4 ml rose hip seed oil.
Calendula supercritical extract can be added at 0.5% or 2 drops per ounce.
BUTTERY BASE FORMULA
For a buttery base combine the following in a one ounce (30 ml) container:
15 grams shea butter
5 grams coconut oil
3 grams aloe vera
2 grams vitamin E oil
Use volume (ml) if a scale isn’t available.
Combine ingredients and use a mixer to blend and create a creamy buttery base.
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Psoriasis
This can be a mild case of skin inflammation to a severe case that covers the body and requires emergency treatment.
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease consisting of red papules that coalesce to form plaques with distinct borders. This condition has an increased rate at which skin cells multiply, leading to flare-ups of psoriasis.
The precise cause is unknown and is sometimes acknowledged as an autoimmune disease, triggered by stress and appears to be inherited.
Recent research attributes dietary deficiencies of sulfur and essential fatty acids as a possible cause.
Other theories include “leaky gut syndrome,” which puts an eliminatory strain on the skin and decreases the immunoglobulins produced in the gut. Psoriasis is also related to poor diet, immune deficiency and emotional issues.
TREATMENT:
Remedies for psoriasis are similar to the treatment of atopic dermatitis and eczema.
Add the following essential oil drops to an oil based formula in a one ounce (30 ml) container:
5 drops Cape Chamomile (Eriocephalus punctulatus)
Anti-inflammatory, stress reduction, calming3 drops Cistus (Cistus landaniferus)
Skin strengthening and healing, calming, quiets mind chatter (emotional relief)3 drops Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis)
Anti-inflammatory, cell regenerative, scar reduction and prevention6 drops Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
Adaptogen, soothing, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, calming, healing3 drops Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
Anti-inflammatory, cell and tissue regenerative, calming, antifungal, regulates seborrhea
Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) and Rosemary Verbenone (Rosmarinus officinalis CT Verbenone) are highly recommended oils for psoriasis as well.
DIY BASE FORMULA
10 ml avocado oil
10 ml sunflower seed oil
5 ml jojoba oil
4 ml rose hip seed oil
Calendula supercritical extract can be added at 0.5% or 2 drops per ounce.
BUTTERY BASE FORMULA
FOR A BUTTERY BASE COMBINE THE FOLLOWING IN A ONE OUNCE (30 ML) CONTAINER
5 grams shea butter
4 grams cocoa butter
4 grams rosehip or blackberry seed oil
2 grams vitamin E oil
Calendula supercritical extract can be added at 0.5% or 2 drops per ounce.
Use volume (ml) if a scale isn’t available.
PREPARATION
Combine shea and cocoa butters into a heavy glass (pyrex) measuring cup.
Boil water in a pan with space to place the measuring cup into.
Take the pan off the heat burner, place measuring cup into the heated water and melt the butters together.
Stir well, and let cool slightly, then add remaining ingredients.
Let cool to creamy liquid before adding essential oils.
Rosacea
Selecting a formula for the sensitivity and inflammation of rosacea can be challenging due to the individual responses to ingredients.
The suspected causes of rosacea are similar to those of atopic dermatitis with the added complication of demodex mite infestation.
Calming the skin is the best focus for treatment of rosacea.
TREATMENT:
Add the following essential oil drops to an oil based formula in a one ounce (30 ml) container:
2 drops Cape Chamomile (Eriocephalus punculatus)
Anti-inflammatory, soothing, anti-anxiety and stress relief2 drops Carrot Seed (Daucus carota)
Regenerative, liver support, skin strengthening2 drops German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, soothing2 drops Elemi (Canarium luzonicum)
Anti-inflammatory, soothing, regenerative1 drop Katrafay (Cedrelopsis grevei)
Anti-inflammatory, regenerative1 drops Sandalwood (Santalum album)
Anti-inflammatory, regenerative, soothing
Add the essential oil formula to your choice of available unscented butter or cream base formulas or make your own using the DIY formulas for psoriasis or eczema.