Diluting Essential Oils for Faster Healing
by Cristin McDonnell
I am originally from Virginia. While living in Virginia I have had minimal issues with my skin breaking out. When I moved to California for four months, my skin did not fair well and I was continually broken out on my face. I tried applying lavender oil and hydrosols to my skin and it definitely helped, but when I started diluting the oil in aloe vera gel or sesame oil, I saw much faster results and the scarring from the break outs was healing much quicker.
When using an essential oil topically, it is rarely used undiluted. The healing effects are seen more rapidly when there is a carrier or a base for the oil. Some of the recommended carriers for oils are: sesame oil, a light olive oil, castor oil and aloe vera gel. When you add sesame oil, for example to an essential oil, the sesame oil acts a vehicle for the essential oil, carrying the oil to the tissues of the body, increasing the digestive capacities of these different tissues.
At night I put a drop of Lilly of the Desert Organic Aloe Vera Gel in my hand and then a drop of Harms Vineyard and Lavender Fields lavender oil in the gel and mix it together. I then apply this to my face, keeping it away from my eyes. By the second time of applying this mixture, I saw immediate results, especially with acne related scarring.
I mention specific brands here as well, because in order to see best results, it is very important that you use high quality products. Kurt Schnaublet, Ph.D, emphasizes, “quality is clinically relevant and improved results have been obvious with moving to higher quality essential oils.” The skin is the largest organ of the body. Whatever you put on your skin is absorbed into the blood stream, so putting high quality natural products on your skin is important to your overall health.
It is important to note that the mixture of aloe vera gel and lavender oil is drying. Aromatherapy expert, Dr. Pam Taylor, suggests always testing an essential oil blend on a small patch of skin first, and watch for any signs of irritation or reaction. I cannot use this mixture every night, because it is drying. I do use this once every 3-4 days. On other days, I mix sesame oil (Spectrum Organic Oil) with a small amount of lavender essential oil to balance out the dryness. If you mix a small amount of sesame oil and lavender oil and put it on your face in the morning, it is light enough to wear all day without feeling greasy.
Oils as a base are paired with many essential oils for healing a variety of medical situations such as viral infections, colic, and skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and even severe burns. Well documented studies show essential oil blends are used to reduce the side effects of conventional cancer treatments. The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils.
Sources:
The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy
The Yoga of Herbs, Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad