Beautiful Naturally: Effective Essential Oils for Mature Skin

It's no surprise several of the world's finest formulas for beautifying mature skin contain natural essential oils. Therapeutic grade essential oils used in aromatherapy are each selected for their distinctive healing action; many oils are specifically indicated for skin healing and healthy skin maintenance. Of greatest interest here are the oils known for their tissue regenerative effects and support of the skin's metabolic functions. An effective personal blend using premium therapeutic grade oils is easily made by choosing a few oils corresponding to the needs of your skin type, and blending with easy-to-follow formulas.

What is it about essential oils that make them so suitable to the task of making mature skin glow? The aromatic oils are nature's liquid healing wonders. It is thought that plants produce them as their own healing potions, with variations that depend on the plant's habitat; a plant needs to generate new cells, defend itself from oxidative radicals, and promote its own fitness as much as humans do. These aromatic oils are highly compatible with our own health and well-being. Countless essential oils have been examined over time, and a few stand out as extraordinary medicines for our skin. Creating a personal formula using them is a simple task: just mix a small amount of essential oils with the appropriate (and therapeutic) seed or nut oils at the right concentrations, and voila! Your own highly effective skin care blend.

In describing the ingredients, we'll start with the carrier oils (also known as 'base' oils). These natural seed and nut oils will make up the bulk of any skin care formula. There are a great many carrier oils to choose from for mature skin support: Avocado - hydrating, and nutritive, with a medium consistency, avocado oil is most often included at about 1/5 of the total base oil mixture. Apricot Kernel - Excellent for dry skin, also for healing damaged or irritated skin; can make up to 100% of the base oil. Borage - Used as a small (5-15%) portion of the base oil mixture; supplies important fatty acid nutrients, which also act to calm inflammation. May be interchanged with Evening Primrose oil, though the Evening Primrose should be used in slightly larger amounts than Borage (up to 25%). Hazelnut - This is the most common carrier in skin care blends. It has a relatively thin consistency, and is best used by those with oily skin conditions. It is mildly astringent, and should not exacerbate trouble with overactive sebaceous glands. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Rosehip Seed - this oil contains a wealth of therapeutic properties, including Retin-A like compounds that increase skin cell turnover without the drying side effects found in pharmaceutical preparations. In summary, a good base oil for mature skin might be 70% Apricot Kernel, 15% Rosehip and 15% Evening Primrose. If the skin is dry, reduce the Apricot Kernel to 50% and add 20% Avocado. If the skin is oily, use Hazelnut in place of Apricot Kernel.

Then of course there are the 'active' ingredients - the essential oils. We will look at eight incredible oils that are all beneficial to mature skin: Considered one of the most potent revitalizing oils for the derma, Carrot Seed essential oil is distilled from the seeds of Wild Carrot. Carrot seed is chosen principally as a tonic for skin that has become dull and lifeless through any sort of stress. Carrot seed has a smooth, warm and earthy aroma that will blend well with many other essential oils. Next is Rosemary Verbenone, which contains a high amount of regenerative ketones and is highly effective for regeneration. This specialty skin care essential oil is noted by professionals for its wonderful ability to improve the metabolism of skin cells - in essence, increasing both the removal of waste products and the intake of nutrients.

Clary Sage is renowned as being particularly suited to natural skin and beauty care. A component of the essential oil mimics the effects of estrogen, which may enhance the vibrancy of aging skin. Clary Sage is also celebrated for its regulation of the skin's secretions, naturally bringing balance to both over-oily as well as under-oily skin. It's aroma is considered relaxing and mildly euphoric which may also contribute to its positive effects. Sweet Fennel is another oil with estrogen-like action, listed by herbalist and author Valerie Worwood in blends for wrinkle prevention at every stage in life.

A couple of lesser known yet highly effective skin care specialty oils are Cistus and Sea Buckthorn. Cistus is distilled from the Rock Rose flower, with astringent qualities used for firming the skin. Some Cistus varieties tend to have a rather medicinal aroma, but truly fine ones are sweet and alluring. Sea Buckthorn is pleasingly sweet, and should be considered for blends for all skin types. Found as a CO2 distillation (not to be confused with the cold-pressed Sea Buckthorn carrier oil) the essential oil is a deep red color, indicating the high concentration of carotenes, vitamin A precursors so important to skin health. The virtues of Sea Buckthorn have been hailed by users with a wide variety of skin conditions and types at every age - it is useful in very small amounts, and need only make up 1% of your recipe to enjoy its benefits.

Of course no discussion of skin care and aromatherapy would be complete without Lavender. True lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) can be included in aromatherapy blends for skin at any age. It may be especially supportive of aging skin through its combination of anti-inflammatory, balancing, and regenerative actions. Lavender is also well-known for its relaxing effects, and its support for stress reduction may quickly result in improving your skin's appearance. For those whom enjoy its floral aroma, Lavender may be added in whatever concentration one chooses to impart its aromatic quality to the formula. For an even stronger anti-inflammatory and regenerative effect, use Helichrysum essential oil (also known as Everlasting or Immortelle). Helichrysum may be the most profoundly healing essential oil for damaged skin, often called for in blends for healing wounds or reducing the appearance of scars. If you are combining aromatherapy with other treatments such as microdermabrasion, Helichrysum would be an important ingredient in your blend.

The recipes for natural skin for mature skin are quite simple. A good starting place is the following ratio: ten drops of each essential oil to every one ounce of carrier oil. For example, if you have four total ounces of carrier oil, use forty drops of each essential oil. More essential oil is rarely better when blending a formula for the skin - many essential oils work best at low concentrations with some oils potentially irritating the skin at high doses. A good rule of thumb is to keep your overall concentration of essential oils below five percent of the total concentration. This ratio works out to about thirty drops per ounce of carrier. If you are designing your own recipe, you can start with equal amounts of essential oil in your blend. Some oils will have more powerful aromas than others; most of these very potent aromas will be oils that you will want to use in smaller quantities. You can also adjust according to your aromatic preferences as well, thus creating a formula that not only supports your skin's health and metabolism, but smells lovely too.

Though many of these ingredients are preferred for women's beauty care, comparable recipes are also used by men. A more masculine formula can be created using essential oils from woods - Cedarwood and Sandalwood are both good examples, having excellent therapeutic properties. Both Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils both have warm earthy aromas and are also noted for their positive effects on aging skin. Including oils purely for their aromas is always an option, too! Please note, there are a there are a few oils that should not be applied to the face: Cinnamon, Oregano, Clove and Red Thyme; pressed citrus as well as Angelica Root oil are 'phototoxic' (make the skin more sensitive to UV rays) and should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to sunlight in the following 72 hours. If you're not sure about a particular essential oil, check with a reliable resource.

Blending a personal formula may seem overwhelming at first, but in fact it is quite a natural and pleasant experience. Once the formula is decided upon, one simply needs to mix each selected essential oil into the one or more base oils at the recommended concentrations and apply to clean skin on a regular basis. The creation of synergistic therapeutic blends for mature skin is enjoyable, easy-to-do, and a wise choice for the skin, the planet, and the pocket-book. By using therapeutic-grade oils and carriers, you'll be creating an effective, beautiful smelling formula that is designed precisely for your own skin condition. Moreover, you can adjust the recipe over time as your needs change, or make different formulas with various aromas to double as natural perfumes. As always with aromatherapy, start slowly, pay attention to your body, enjoy the process!

About The Author:

The author is a consultant for Ananda Aromatherapy, found at www.anandaapothecary.com. Find more resources are available on aromatherapy and essential oil blends through the website.

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